There is nothing more comforting and soul-warming than Pasta e Fagioli!
This Pasta Fagioli recipe is a hearty take on an Italian favorite. Veggies, sausage and lots of pasta and beans turn this dish into a hearty favorite.
It’s totally cozy, a great way to stretch a meal, and best of all, it’s so comforting.
In this easy homemade soup recipe, two types of beans have been added for extra protein and creaminess. Lots of dried herbs make the broth for this easy Pasta Fagioli recipe irresistibly flavorful.
What is Pasta Fagioli?
Pasta e Fagioli is a traditional Italian dish that means “pasta and beans.” It’s made with simple ingredients like pasta, beans, and tomatoes, and sometimes has a little bit of meat or veggies added.
Different regions have different variations of pasta fagioli. It can be made with meat, but it’s often made without. Some recipes include a bit of pork, calamari, or beef. Traditionally it is very hearty, almost stew-like, and less brothy than the Fagioli soups we often see in North America.
In this recipe, we’re making a version similar to Olive Garden’s, with the addition of sausage and veggies so it’s hearty enough to feed a family. But you can leave out the meat if you prefer!
Minestrone Soup vs. Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Minestrone Soup vs. Pasta e Fagioli Soup
The main difference between minestrone and pasta e Fagioli is the variety of vegetables in minestrone. Fagioli is mainly pasta and beans with a little bit of broth (I add a few veggies like celery & onion for extra flavor) while minestrone has more vegetables and usually more broth.
How To Make Pasta Fagioli
I make a lot of amazing soup recipes and this flavorful one tops our list! it’s easy, delicious, and hearty (and we think it’s even better than the Olive Garden Fagioli recipe)! This can be made without sausage, reduce the broth slightly.
- Brown sausage and onion per the recipe below. Add in remaining ingredients, except for pasta, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente.
- Stir the pasta into the bean mixture and serve.
Serve pasta Fagioli soup next to some warm garlic bread and a caesar salad for the perfect meal.
Freezing Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Cool soup completely before packaging it for freezing.
- Add soup to gallon or quart-size zip-top plastic freezer bags.
- Lay bags flat in a single layer in the freezer, when frozen, stack bags to save space.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Savory u0026 Satisfying Soups
Did your family love this Pasta Fagioli Soup? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Pasta e Fagioli Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage mild or spicy, or ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 can red kidney beans 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
- 1 can cannellini beans or Great Northern beans, 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup ditalini pasta or tubetti, or elbow macaroni
Garnish:
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ground Italian sausage and cook without moving for about one minute. Crumble it using a wooden spoon and continue cooking until browned, 3-5 minutes. Drain excess fat.
- Move the cooked sausage to one side of the pot and add the onion and garlic to the other half and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender.
- Add chopped carrots, celery, and diced tomatoes. Stir and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.
- Add basil, Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and drained and rinsed beans. Season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. If needed, add more water, one cup at a time.
- In a separate pot, add water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Season with salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain well and toss with a bit of olive oil. Set aside.
- Once vegetables are tender, stir in pasta until heated through.
- Garnish with parsley and grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Pasta, Soup
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Absolutely delicious! The spice blend is great. I also added about half a tsp of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. I put this in a pressure cooker for five minutes (then quick release) instead of cooking it on the stove and it was super easy. Will definitely make this again!
What can I substitute tomatoe sauce for did not read and do not have
I have only tried the recipe as written Janice. You could try leaving the tomato sauce out and while it will change the flavor, it will still be delicious. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
We really liked the herb mixture in the recipe. I get now why you include “soup” in the title
because technically this isn’t pasta fajoli-the ratio of broth to pasta is way off from authentic pasta fajoli. I cooked the pasta in the broth and used a bit more pasta. Next time I might reduce the amount of tomato also.
With using beef or pork in this recipe why would you use chicken broth? I have not mixed then like that. I use an onion broth to let the herbs/spices mingle & give it the flavor.
I prefer the flavor of the chicken broth in this recipe. You can certainly change it to your liking.
I make soup almost every wk. I use every kind of pasta there is & it is all good. I even make my own pasta when Im real energetic. I also grow the majority of my out veggies & herbs/spices so I constantly try different combinations.
I bet this is even better with homemade pasta!
Ridiculously delicious soup. My son could live on this. But DO cook the ditalini right in it! You could even use half the amount of sausage and it would still be good.
a winter staple
Can this recipe be adapted to use a slow cooker? And what other types of pasta could be used if ditalini is not available?
This recipe can be prepared in a slow cooker. The following are the suggested changes:
To adapt this recipe for the slow cooker, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once browned, drain any excess fat and transfer the sausage to the slow cooker. Add the remaining soup ingredients except for the pasta. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high fo 3-4 hours. Before serving, boil the pasta in salted water according to the package directions. Stir in the pasta and serve.
How can I adapt this recipe for my slow cooker?
The following are the suggested changes:
To adapt this recipe for the slow cooker, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once browned, drain any excess fat and transfer the sausage to the slow cooker. Add the remaining soup ingredients except for the pasta. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Before serving, boil the pasta in salted water according to the package directions. Stir in the pasta and serve.
Absolutely delicious, easy, quick and customizable!
What can I use instead of kidney bean?
You can use another type of canned beans in this recipe.
why would you use more dishes to make this soup.I would add the pasta in the soup pot and add water or broth to allow
IT TO cook in the broth
IT WAS DELICIOUS
You can certainly cook the pasta in the broth!