Pasta Fagioli
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Loaded with vegetables, beans, and pasta, this hearty pasta fagioli soup is the perfect cozy meal for a chilly night.
Pasta Fagioli, literally meaning “pasta and beans” (and pronounced “pasta fa-jo-lee” or “pasta fa-zhool,” depending on the region) is a quintessential Italian comfort food. This particular version, adapted from Joe Cicala, executive chef at Cicala in Philadelphia, and featured in The Washington Post, is truly the best I’ve tried.
The soup begins with a flavorful mix of pancetta and vegetables, simmered in wine and broth, and finishes with pasta and beans. But what really makes the soup special is the way the broth is enriched: a portion of the soup is puréed and stirred back in, lending a satisfying texture and a depth of flavor that makes the soup a meal in itself. Serve it with focaccia and a big Italian salad, and you’ve got a meal that will warm you up and make you happy.
“AMAZING…I am Italian and have had many versions of pasta fagioli, but this one is my favorite.”
What You’ll Need to Make Pasta Fagioli
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing vegetables.
- Pancetta: Italian cured pork belly, similar to American bacon but not smoked, adds a rich, savory flavor. You’ll often find it pre-diced near the deli section or at the counter for convenience. If you’d like to make the soup vegetarian, you can skip the pancetta, but I recommend adding a Parmigiano Reggiano rind while the soup simmers to bring in that deep, umami flavor.
- Onion, Carrots, Celery, Garlic: This classic vegetable mix creates a flavorful foundation for the soup.
- White Wine: Adds a hint of acidity and complexity to the soup. When cooking with wine, always choose an inexpensive bottle that’s still good enough to drink.
- Chicken Broth: The liquid base of the soup, contributing both richness and depth. Substitute vegetable broth to make the soup vegetarian.
- Cannellini Beans or Chickpeas (or a Combination): These legumes bring heartiness, texture, and protein to the dish.
- Dried Lentils: Add nutritional value, earthy flavor, and heartiness to the soup. I prefer French green lentils (lentilles du Puy), but any brown or green lentils will work.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: Provide acidity and brightness, balancing the soup’s rich flavors.
- Bay Leaves and Fresh Rosemary: These herbs infuse the soup with aromatic and herbal notes.
- Pasta: Small pasta like elbow macaroni, ditalini, or orzo makes the soup more substantial.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: This cheese lends a nutty, salty flavor to the soup.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by heating the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pot, then add the pancetta. Cook it for about 5 minutes, or until the fat starts to render.
Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until the onions become translucent, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Be careful not to brown.
Pour in the wine and cook until almost evaporated.
Next, add the broth, salt, pepper, beans lentils, tomatoes, bay leaves and rosemary, and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Use a ladle to scoop out about one cup of the beans and some broth and transfer it to a blender. Remove the center knob to let the steam escape, and cover the opening with a paper towel or kitchen towel to avoid splatters. Purée until smooth and set aside.
Meanwhile, add the dried pasta to the simmering broth.
Cook until the pasta is tender, then add the reserved purée back to the pot. The broth will be slightly thickened from both the pasta starch and the purée.
If the soup seems too thick, thin it with a bit of water. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with more cheese, if you’d like. This soup keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Just note that the pasta and beans will absorb the broth over time, making the soup thicker and the texture softer. If you’re not serving it right away, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding it to each serving. You can also freeze the soup (without pasta) for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
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Pasta Fagioli
This easy pasta fagioli soup is a satisfying meal unto itself with beans, pasta, and a rich broth—perfect for a cozy dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 2 medium ribs celery, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 6 cups chicken broth
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans or chickpeas (or a combination), drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup dried lentils, rinsed (preferably French green lentils, but any green or brown lentils are fine)
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- ¾ cup pasta, such as elbow macaroni or ditalini
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat begins to render, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and increase the heat to medium; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add the wine and cook until it has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, salt, pepper, beans, lentils, tomatoes, bay leaves, and rosemary. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are just tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of lentils you used.
- Use a ladle to transfer about 1 cup of the beans and veggies and a little liquid to a blender. Remove the center knob so steam can escape. Hold a paper towel or kitchen towel over the opening to prevent splatters. Purée until smooth and set aside.
- Add the pasta to the pot and stir to incorporate. Turn the heat up to a gentle boil and cook until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 12 minutes depending on the type of pasta you used (follow timing on the package). The soup will thicken a bit by the time the pasta is cooked. Fish out and discard the bay leaves.
- Stir the reserved puréed mixture into the soup. (If you're having a hard time getting the mixture out of the blender, remove as much as you can with a rubber spatula, then add some of the hot soup broth to the blender and swirl around to loosen it up; it should come right out.) Cook briefly, until the soup is heated through.
- Remove the soup from heat and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano. If the soup seems too thick, gradually add 1 to 2 cups of water or chicken broth and thin to the desired consistency (the longer the soup sits on the stove, the thicker it will get). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with more cheese, if desired. Note that as the finished soup sits on the stove, the pasta and beans will continue to soak up the broth. If it gets too thick, you can thin it with a bit of broth or water.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. However, keep in mind that the pasta and beans will continue to absorb the broth over time, so they may become softer and the soup thicker. If you don't plan on serving the soup immediately, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding it to individual servings. The soup can also be frozen, without the pasta, for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until simmering, add the pasta, and cook until the pasta is tender. (The beans may have soaked up some of the broth while refrigerated or frozen, so add more broth to thin out the soup, if desired.)
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: About 2 cups
- Calories: 691
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 81g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 17g
- Protein: 36g
- Sodium: 1214mg
- Cholesterol: 26mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Absolutely delish. Excellent recipe.
This is the best soup I have ever tasted!! Make it with my daughter in double batches, originally out of your cookbook. Freezes great too!
I made this recipe again for a small, casual dinner party of “best friends” and I am so glad I did. I wanted something I could finish before their arrival so I din’t miss any conversation. I wish you could have been there, Jenn. Our friends raved – I truly mean it – they raved over this dish. We have been very good friends for 28 years and honestly I have never heard such comments throughout the meal. I love all of your recipes and consistently use Once Upon A Chef. It is reliable, imaginative, and written so clearly that even brand new tried recipes are easily followed and truly make me a star! Thank you for sharing your talent.
P.S. We had no leftovers even though I doubled the recipe for this occasion. So I’m making this again for just my hubby and me.
Hi Chef Jenn,
Can bacon be substituted for the Pancetta?
thank you…
Yep!
This recipe looks amazing, but I can’t eat lentils. Can I just leave them out or do you recommend a substitution? Thanks 😊
Hi Mindy, you can omit them. If you’d like you could slightly increase the amount of carrots and celery you’re using. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you!
Outstanding! And so healthy. I will be making a pot of this soup routinely. Following a soup dinner, I bring a portion to my Dad and then it’s an easy lunch for a few days.
I am not sure what all the raving comments are about. Made this last night as per the directions, and I found this to be incredibly bland. Also, with the short time on the stove, the carrots were not cooked-and I made sure their chop was pretty fine. I do believe this is the first of Jenn’s recipes that has not made it into our regular rotation.
I made this for company and we all really enjoyed it. Works great for a make ahead meal. I used bow tie pasta as a sub.