Easy Pasta Fagioli Recipe
A warm bowl of pasta fagioli in under 30-minutes! This Italian comfort food is rich, satisfying, and easy to make.
Pasta Fagioli—Italian Comfort Food
Pasta fagioli (aka pasta e fagioli) is one of those classic Italian recipes that’s naturally nourishing and deeply satisfying. With plenty of fiber from the beans and a flavorful broth, it’s a wholesome meal you can whip up any day of the week. It’s super comforting with no special ingredients required. This recipe is perfect when you need dinner on the table fast, taking just 30-minutes from start to finish. It packs all the flavors of a heartwarming soup.
What You Need For Fagioli Soup
- Italian sausage- I use a sweet mild sausage.
- Veggies– Onions, garlic, carrots, and celery.
- Diced tomatoes from a can.
- Tomato sauce
- Beans– Canned white and kidney beans.
- Seasonings– Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Brown sugar– Optional if you need to balance out the acidity from the tomatoes.
- Chicken broth
- White vinegar
- Pasta such as Ditalini or small macaroni.
- Parmesan cheese rind if you have one.
Step By Step Cooking Instruction
- Step One. In a medium soup pot cook and crumble sausage and remove any excess grease.
- Step Two. Add veggies to sauté (onions, garlic, carrots, and celery) until slightly soft.
- Step Three. Cook pasta in a separate pot (or use a microwave pasta maker) drain, and set aside.
- Step Four. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, seasonings, beans, vinegar, and cheese rind if you have it.
- Step Five. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. Add cooked pasta, taste for seasonings, or if you need a little brown sugar to balance the flavor, and serve.
Ang’s Tips
- Cook pasta separately. This will ensure the best texture using a smaller pasta shape.
- Double the batch and freeze half (minus the pasta) for an easy future meal.
- Use fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme during simmering for added aroma.
- Add greens like spinach or kale in the last 5 minutes for extra nutrition.
Pasta, Meat, and Vegetarian Options
- Ditalini (classic)
- Elbow macaroni (easy to find)
- Small shells (great for holding broth)
- Orzo (lighter version)
- Gluten-free pasta (for dietary needs)
- Ground beef or turkey – A leaner but hearty option.
- Vegetarian addition — Leave out the meat and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Easy Pasta Fagioli
A warm bowl of pasta fagioli in under 30-minutes! This Italian comfort food is rich, satisfying, and easy to make.
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 481kcal
Equipment
- medium soup pot
- pot for cooking pasta or use a microwave pasta maker
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb mild sweet Italian sausage
- 1/2 cup yellow onions, diced
- 3/4 cup carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 (15) ounce can diced tomatoes with the juice
- 1 (8) ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned white navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
- 3/4 cup uncooked Ditalini pasta
- parmesan cheese rind optional
Instructions
- In a medium soup pot cook and crumble Italian sausage, about 3-4 minutes. Remove any excess grease.
- Stir in onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until just starting to softened, about 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and cook 30-seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the next 10 ingredients starting with diced tomatoes and ending with white vinegar. Note: If you have a parmesan cheese rind, add it at this time. Combine all the ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 20-minutes.
- Meanwhile cook pasta until al dente. Drain but do not rinse. Once soup is finished cooking remove cheese rind if you added it and stir in the cooked pasta, or serve it on the side separately. Check for seasonings and enjoy.
Notes
If you’re not using sweet Italian sausage, you may need to add 1-2 tsp of brown sugar to the soup to help balance out the acidity in the broth.
The pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid. You may need to add more broth depending on desired consistency.
Parmesan cheese adds a nice touch when serving.
This soup freezes really well without the pasta. Freeze up to 3 months.
See post for additional tips and suggestions for meat, pasta, and vegetarian options.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 1488mg | Potassium: 1184mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4494IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 6mg
Try These Cozy, Easy Soups Next
Cozy soup season is here. If you loved pasta fagioli, you’ll enjoy these also! Italian Turkey Sausage Soup with Beans and Kale, Quick Minestrone Soup, Stuffed Pepper Soup, and Cabbage Roll Soup.
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