Pasta Fazool (pasta fagioli recipe)
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This amazing pasta fazool, aka pasta fagioli recipe, is the ultimate comfort food. It’s a simple, hearty, affordable meal that is nourishing and totally delicious.
A vegan delight that’s easy to prepare in just one pot!
I’m excited to share this simple yet iconic pasta recipe with you all. This pasta e fagioli soup is a must in every Italian family and it has been one of my staples for as long as I can remember.
This is one pot wonder, the kind of meal that makes you feel warm and cozy inside. Rich, full of fluffy beans and with a thick creamy broth that is everything.
Seriously, it’s unbelievable how good and filling it is!
The origins of this pasta e fagioli soup can be traced back to rural Italy, and what I love most is that this humble recipe turns just a handful of ingredients into a terrific family meal.
A perfect combination of pasta, beans, vegetables, and a flavorful tomato broth. Wholesome ingredients, cooked with love.
It all starts with some olive oil, onion, carrot, celery and garlic. This is a classic technique in Italian cuisine, important to add layers of flavor starting at the base.
Next, stir in the beans, herbs, tomatoes and broth. To create a smoother texture, blend part of the soup and cook the pasta in this creamy aromatic concoction.
This pasta fazool is quick to make and even quicker to disappear from your plate. Ladle into a bowl and ENJOY with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some crusty Italian bread or garlic bread on the side.
It’s so hearty, delicious and satisfying, you won’t even miss the meat.
What ingredients you need
- Borlotti beans (also known as cranberry beans) or cannellini beans
- Pasta (I used ditalini)
- Vegetable broth
- Soffritto (diced onion, carrots, celery)
- Garlic
- Canned or fresh tomatoes
- Fresh or dried herbs
- Salt & Pepper
How to make pasta fazool
(Note: this is simply a quick explanation, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Saute’ the soffritto mix in olive oil.
- Add garlic and herbs and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in beans and tomatoes.
- Add broth and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Scoop out part of the soup and blend until smooth (or you can use a hand blender, it makes your life easier!)
- Return the soup to the pot, stir and bring to the boil.
- Stir in the pasta and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, and chopped Italian parsley if you wish. Enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES & TIPS
I’m sure you’ll love this hearty Italian soup. A healthy vegan pasta fazool recipe that doesn’t require fancy ingredients, but only inexpensive pantry staples, just like my bean recipes that I’ve rounded up here!
Why is this pasta fagioli recipe so good?
The secret is in the method and in a few classic ingredients.
Soffritto: the dish starts with this flavor base, basically a mix of diced carrots, celery, and onion, garlic sautéed in olive oil until translucent. Take your time and don’t skip this step, it brings flavor and sweetness to the dish.
Aromatic herbs: dried of fresh herbs like thyme, bay leaf, rosemary add aromatic flavor. Also 1 teaspoon of Italian herb seasoning would work instead of fresh herbs,
Beans: traditionally, this Italian pasta fazool calls for fresh or dried borlotti beans (also known as cranberry beans) or cannellini beans. For convenience, you can certainly use canned beans as I’ll often do most of the time. You can also use pinto beans, but borlotti (cranberry beans) will give you a creamier texture and a deeper flavor.
Broth: I usually use low sodium vegetable broth, it brings flavor without adding too much sodium. Start with the amount of liquid stated in the recipe, then add it gradually as much as needed.
Texture: there’re many variations of this thick hearty soup. Some leave the soup chunky, but I prefer to blend part of the beans and the broth, and then I cook the pasta in a thicker bean soup. This step is optional, but it gives you a luscious texture.
Pasta: any sort of small pasta shapes like orecchiette, ditalini pasta, shells are fine. Another popular option is breaking long pasta shapes like pappardelle or spaghetti into smaller pieces.
Extra flavor: Serve with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, some black pepper, fresh parsley, or a touch of this amazing homemade parsley pesto. It only gets better!
Note: you need cookware that is large, thick and heavy for this recipe, so the contents heat evenly and the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. I used an enamel coated cast iron Dutch oven.
What does “pasta fazool” means?
This traditional pasta e fagioli soup is often called pasta fazool, especially in the USA. The word “fazool” is derived from its Neapolitan name, fasule (beans). The main characteristic of this dish cooked in Naples is the mixed kinds of pasta leftovers together.
How to store pasta fagioli soup leftovers?
If you have any leftovers, you can store this pasta fazool in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days.
The pasta will absorb all the liquid as it sits and to reheat, add up to 1 cup of water until it’s thinned to the desired consistency, then gently warm over medium-low heat.
More italian pasta recipes?
If you love this pasta fazool, you can’t miss these Italian pasta recipes:
- Pasta with lentils
- Pasta with chickpeas (vegan)
- Pasta with peas
- Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil (vegan)
- Potato pasta (pasta e patate)
- Pasta with black beans “Bolognese Style”
If you make this delicious pasta fazool (pasta e fagioli soup recipe) or if you have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
Recipe update: published in September 2020, the recipe has been updated with new photos and notes.
Pasta Fazool (pasta fagioli soup)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
- 1 medium-sized onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Rosemary sprig (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 small sprig of thyme (or ¼ tsp dried)
- 2 cans (15oz each) borlotti beans (cranberry beans) or cannellini beans, drained
- 1 cup (240 ml) canned tomatoes
- 4 cups (960 ml) low sodium vegetable broth
- 7 oz (190-200 grams) Pasta, short pasta (ditali, orecchiette, shells…)
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- In a large heavy soup pot or dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heart until shimmering. Add the diced onion, carrot, celery, and cook stirring often until the vegetables have softened. It takes about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, herbs, and cook for about 30-40 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, 3 cups of the broth (reserve the rest), salt, pepper (½ tsp of salt when using low sodium vegetable broth, see notes below) and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and rosemary. Scoop out about ⅓ of the soup, blitz in a blender until smooth, and return it to the pot (be careful, it's still hot). Alternatively, use an immersion blender and partially blitz the soup in the pot.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and stir in the pasta. Cook gently, stirring frequently, and add the rest of the reserved broth gradually when needed. The soup should be creamy, thick, but not dry otherwise the pasta might stick to the bottom of the pot. Keep an eye during the cooking time and add the rest of the broth as needed.
- Cook until al dente, taste and adjust the seasoning and the consistency to your liking. Feel free to add a touch of water if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Ladle the pasta with beans into bowls and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and top with black pepper or red pepper flakes. Fresh chopped Italian parsley is another delicious addition if you like. Enjoy!
I made this and it was really good. I used a teaspoon of italian seasoning instead of the rosemary, which is probably inauthentic, but I liked how it turned out.
Italian seasoning works just fine 😊 Thanks for sharing your lovely feedback! x
This sounds so good and I will be visiting your website often! One thing I might change would be to use tricolor pasta just to add some color to the dish. Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks, Beth! Let me know how it turns out 😊