Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
EASY Pasta Fagioli recipe (Pasta Fazool)
Tiny pasta makes a bowl of soup especially good company. There are beans to scoop up, a savory broth to sip, and plenty of little bites along the way. Pasta fagioli is a welcome dinner to linger over when a warm bowl sounds better than anything else.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 18 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Pork · Beans & lentils
- Cuisine
- American · Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews · Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Brown the pancetta first
Let the pancetta or bacon get lightly browned before the vegetables go in. That first step gives the soup a savory base, and the carrots, celery and onion cook right in that flavor.
2. Give the tomato paste a minute
After the vegetables soften, stir in the garlic, tomato paste and seasoning and cook them briefly. It takes only a minute or two, but it helps the tomato paste lose its raw edge.
3. Add the pasta uncooked
The small pasta goes straight into the simmering soup, where it soaks up flavor as it turns al dente. If you plan to serve the soup later, you can cook the pasta separately.
Get to know the ingredients
Pancetta or bacon
Either pancetta or thick-cut bacon works here. The recipe starts by browning it in olive oil, so chop it before it hits the pot and let it take on a little color.
Low sodium broth
Low sodium broth is useful because pancetta, beans and Parmesan all bring salt along. Start with the listed salt, then taste again at the end once the Parmesan has melted in.
Small pasta shapes
Ditalini is the named pasta, but any small shape fits the soup. Keep it small enough to share the spoon with the beans and vegetables, and add it while the soup is simmering.
Let’s make it
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Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
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How to make it
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Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Stir in the spinach or kale right before serving, then add the grated Parmesan and taste. This is the moment to adjust the seasoning, after the greens have wilted and the cheese has joined the broth.
A little more help as you go
Use the Parmesan rind
Drop the Parmesan rind in with the broth, tomatoes, beans and bay leaf. It simmers with the soup and adds more savory depth before the grated Parmesan goes in at the end.
Diced or crushed tomatoes both work
The can of tomatoes can be diced or crushed. Diced keeps little pieces of tomato in the bowl, while crushed blends more into the broth as the soup simmers.
A few questions you might have
Can I use bacon instead of pancetta?
Yes. Use chopped pancetta or about 4 slices of thick-cut bacon. Cook it the same way at the start, until lightly browned.
Do I need to drain and rinse the beans?
Yes, use the white kidney beans drained and rinsed. They go in with the broth, tomatoes, bay leaf and Parmesan rind, then simmer until the vegetables are nearly tender.
When should the greens go in?
Add the chopped spinach or kale just before serving. It only needs that final stir with the Parmesan, not the longer simmer with the vegetables and beans.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Use vegetable broth and leave out the pancetta or bacon for a meatless soup.
Why is the pasta added near the end?
It cooks in the soup after the vegetables are nearly tender, so it can reach al dente without overcooking while the carrots, celery and onion finish first.
Any more cooking tips?
Ingredients and Substitutions: Pancetta or Bacon : either works well, and you can omit for a meatless version of this soup. Vegetables : There are lots and lots of variations of Pasta e Fagioli, which means that you can make your own rules and no one can tell you it’s wrong! Feel free to add in extra vegetables that you need to get out of the fridge, or ones your guests enjoy. Broth : I always start with low sodium or no salt added broth so that I can control how salty the soup is in the end. Pasta : we love ditalini in soup, but any small pasta shape will do. If you are going to be serving it later, you may want to cook the pasta to al dente in a pot of boiling water and just add when serving. This way it won’t get mushy if it sits in the fridge too long. Tomatoes : use diced or crushed, or you can swap this for tomato sauce for a thicker soup. Beans : I prefer white beans but any kind of beans, even black or red kidney beans will work just as well in here.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
