Pasta e Fagioli Recipe: Authentic Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

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A good pasta e fagioli recipe turns a bag of dried beans, a handful of small pasta and a few vegetables into a thick, filling soup. Italians have cooked it for generations. Cooks in Veneto, Tuscany and Naples all claim it, and each makes it a little differently. This guide gives you one reliable method, plus the choices that change the result.

What Is Pasta e Fagioli?

The name means “pasta and beans”. It sits somewhere between a soup and a stew. The beans cook until they turn creamy. Some of them break down and thicken the broth. The pasta goes in near the end, so it stays tender instead of dissolving.

This is cucina povera, the “kitchen of the poor”. Families cooked what they had: dried beans from the store cupboard, an onion, a carrot, a rind of cheese that was too hard to eat. Nothing was wasted. Beans from the Americas reached Italy in the 1500s, and they soon became a staple on farms across the country.

Today the dish is comfort food in every region. You will find it in a Roman trattoria, a Venetian osteria and a Neapolitan home kitchen. It suits autumn best, when the evenings turn cool and a pot on the hob feels right.

Ingredients for Pasta e Fagioli

This pasta e fagioli recipe serves four. You can scale it up, and it freezes well.

• 250 g dried borlotti or cannellini beans (or two 400 g tins, drained)
• 150 g small pasta, such as ditalini, tubetti or broken spaghetti
• 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée or 3 tablespoons passata
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 rind of Parmesan, about 5 cm square (optional)
• 1 litre of water or light vegetable stock
• Salt and black pepper

Which Beans Should You Use?

Borlotti give the deepest flavour. They have a nutty taste and a creamy texture, and the pink speckles fade as they cook. Cannellini are milder and softer. Both work well, and cooks in different regions swear by one or the other.

Dried beans taste better and cost less. Tinned beans save hours and still give a good result. If you use tins, rinse them well and shorten the cooking time to about 25 minutes.

Which Pasta Works Best?

Pick a short, small shape that fits on a spoon. Ditalini is the classic choice. Many Italian cooks also use pasta mista, a mix of broken leftover shapes. It is thrifty and charming. Our guide to Italian pasta shapes explains which cuts suit soups, sauces and bakes.

How to Make Pasta e Fagioli Step by Step

Step 1: Soak and Cook the Beans

Cover the dried beans with plenty of cold water. Leave them to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain them and tip them into a large pot with fresh water, the rosemary and the garlic. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer.

Cook the beans for about an hour, until they are soft. The time varies with the age of the beans, so test one. Do not add salt until the beans are nearly tender, as early salt can toughen the skins. Keep the cooking water. It is full of flavour.

Step 2: Build the Soffritto

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan over a low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook them gently for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet but not brown. This base is called a soffritto, and it gives the soup its depth. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for one more minute.

Step 3: Bring It Together

1. Add the cooked beans and about 600 ml of their cooking water to the soffritto.
2. Drop in the Parmesan rind if you have one.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes with the lid half on.
4. Scoop out a ladleful of beans, crush them with a fork and stir them back in. This thickens the soup without cream or flour.
5. Add the remaining water or stock and bring the pot to a steady boil.

Step 4: Cook the Pasta in the Soup

Stir in the pasta. Cook it for the time on the packet, usually 8 to 10 minutes. Stir often, because small pasta sticks to the bottom of the pot. Add a splash of hot water if the soup gets too thick. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper.

Take the pot off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. The soup will thicken a little more as it sits. Remove the rosemary and the cheese rind, then ladle the soup into warm bowls. Finish each bowl with a thread of good olive oil.

Regional Versions Worth Knowing

There is no single correct version. That is part of the charm. Here are three styles you will meet when you travel.

• Veneto: Cooks here often use borlotti and a bacon or ham bone for a smoky, rich broth. The dialect name is pasta e fasioi.
• Tuscany: The soup tends to be thicker, with rosemary, sage and plenty of olive oil. Read our Tuscany food guide for more of the region’s bean-led cooking.
• Naples: Cooks often use tomato and mixed pasta shapes. The dialect name is pasta e fasule, and the soup is usually thick enough to eat with a fork.

Some versions add mussels, pork rind or chilli. Others keep it plain and vegetarian. Try the base recipe first, then change one thing at a time.

Tips for the Best Pasta e Fagioli

• Use the cooking water. It adds flavour and body that plain water cannot.
• Mash a few beans. The starch gives the creamy texture Italians love.
• Cook the pasta in the pot. The pasta releases starch and thickens the soup.
• Rest it before serving. Five minutes lets the flavours settle.
• Add olive oil at the end. A raw drizzle tastes fresher than oil cooked in the pot.

If you want to cook the whole menu, pair the soup with a plate of northern Italian risotto on another night. Or learn to make fresh pasta from scratch and roll your own short shapes for the pot.

How to Serve and Store It

Serve the soup hot, with crusty bread, a grind of black pepper and a little grated Parmesan. A simple green salad on the side makes it a full meal. A glass of light red wine suits it well.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to three days. The pasta keeps absorbing liquid, so the soup will be much thicker the next day. Add a splash of water when you reheat it. You can also freeze the soup without the pasta for up to three months, then cook fresh pasta in it when you reheat.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pasta e Fagioli

What is the best bean for a pasta e fagioli recipe?

Borlotti are the traditional choice in much of northern Italy, and they give the richest flavour. Cannellini also work well and give a milder, softer soup. Either way, the best pasta e fagioli recipe starts with good dried beans.

Can I make pasta e fagioli with tinned beans?

Yes. Drain and rinse two 400 g tins, then simmer them in the soffritto and water for about 25 minutes. The flavour is a little lighter than with dried beans, but the soup is still very good.

Is pasta e fagioli a soup or a pasta dish?

It can be either, depending on the region. Some cooks make it thin and brothy like a soup. Others cook it down until it is thick enough to eat with a fork, closer to a stew.

How do I stop the pasta from going soft?

Add the pasta late and cook it only until just tender. Serve the soup soon after it rests. If you plan to keep leftovers, store the soup and the pasta apart, or freeze the soup without the pasta.

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Plan Your Italy Trip

Want to taste dishes like this at the source? Start with our Ultimate Italy Travel Guide and plan a trip built around the food you love.

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