Pasta e Fagioli Recipe

How-to Make a Classic Italian Soup with Pasta and Beans

Jul 23, 2009 Lynn Smythe

This hearty soup, a ubiquitous part of Italian restaurant menus, can be served as an appetizer, or first course.

Pasta e fagioli, which translates as pasta with beans, is a classic soup that should be part of every chef’s repertoire. Serve a bowl of homemade pasta e fagioli soup with a teaspoon of finely chopped, fresh basil and a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. For a complete meal, serve this hearty bean and pasta soup with lots of crusty Italian bread and a side salad.

Pasta e Fagioli Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• ¼ cup diced pancetta
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 2-4 cloves garlic – minced
• 2 (15 ounce) cans white beans – drained and rinsed
• 2 cups canned, peeled tomatoes in sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
• 1 ½ cups ditalini pasta

Pasta e Fagioli Directions

1. Place the olive oil into a large stock pot.
2. Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium.
3. Add the pancetta, and cook until it starts to brown slightly.
4. Add the bay leaves, then stir in the oregano, thyme and rosemary.
5. Add the onion, carrots and zucchini, and sauté for 5-7 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
7. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, water and chicken stock.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the pasta.
10. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for approximately 8 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.
11. Remove the bay leaves from the soup, and serve immediately.
12. Leftover pasta e fagioli can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to one month.

Recipe Tips and Suggestions

1. Use the back of a mixing spoon to break up the tomatoes, after they have been added to the soup.
2. Alternatively, roughly chop the tomatoes before adding them to the soup, for a finer texture.
3. For a vegetarian version of Pasta e Fagioli, leave out the pancetta, and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
4. Ditalini is the traditional pasta shape used to make pasta e fagioli. Any type of dried pasta, such as spirals, shells or elbow macaroni, can be used if desired.
5. Pancetta is a type of dry cured, processed meat. Any type of processed meat; such as salami, pepperoni, ham, or even bacon, can be used in place of the pancetta.
6. Other varieties of beans, such as cannellini, garbanzo, or black beans can be used in place of the white beans.

Additional Recipes

Another version of pasta e fagioli soup can be found in the article Traditional Italian Meal. Another recipe for hearty soup is Roasted Red Pepper Soup.

The copyright of the article Pasta e Fagioli Recipe in Herbs & Spices is owned by Lynn Smythe. Permission to republish Pasta e Fagioli Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Bowl of Pasta E Fagioli	Ingredients for Pasta E Fagioli	Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano
Zucchni, Onion, Carrot	Pot of Homemade Pasta E Fagioli

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Comments

Jan 11, 2010 6:46 PM

Guest :

It's great, but how many does it serve?

Jan 12, 2010 5:17 AM

Lynn Smythe :

Kind of hard to say how many servings. This recipe makes a very large pot of soup. Number of total servings depend on if you are having a cup of soup, as an appetizer along with other items, or a bowl of soup as a complete meal.

I workout a lot, and eat a lot. My idea of a single serving of soup is probably equal to 2 or 3 normal servings. I always make big pots of soup/stew - lots of leftovers. You can always freeze half of the soup if you think it makes too much.

Take care,
Lynn

2 Comments