Pasta e Fagioli is one of the most comforting and satisfying dishes in Italian cuisine. This recipe follows the traditional method, using ditalini pasta, creamy borlotti beans, and a fragrant base of onion, carrot, and celery.
The flavor is enhanced by garlic, sage, rosemary, and bay leaves, all gently sautéed in extra virgin olive oil before simmering with tomato passata and vegetable broth.
To achieve the perfect texture, a portion of the soup is blended and then mixed back in, creating a naturally rich and velvety consistency without the need for cream or cheese. A final touch of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil brings out all the flavors.
There are many regional variations of pasta e fagioli, some richer with pork-based ingredients and others made with fresh tomatoes or different herbs. But this recipe captures the essence of authentic, homemade Italian comfort food—hearty, simple, and incredibly satisfying.
Follow the steps below to recreate this Italian classic in your kitchen!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 50 Min | Servings: 6
- 200 g (7 oz) ditalini pasta (or any small pasta of your choice)
- 700 g (1.5 lb) cooked borlotti beans (cranberry beans) – This equals about 600 g (1.3 pound) of fresh beans, 300 g (10 oz) of dried beans, or 3 cans of canned beans, rinsed and drained.
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium celery stalk
- 150 g (¾ cup) of tomato passata
- 6 sage leaves
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 liter (4 cups) vegetable broth
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Step 1) - In a large soup pot, heat 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the whole garlic cloves (peeled), a sprig of rosemary, and the sage leaves. Let them gently sauté on low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the garlic turns golden and fragrant. At this point, remove the garlic, rosemary, and sage from the pot.
TIP: Tilt the pot slightly while sautéing so the garlic and herbs are fully submerged in the oil. This helps them cook more evenly and infuse the oil with their aroma.
Dice the carrot and celery, finely chop the onion. Add the chopped vegetables to the pot. Stir well and let them cook on low for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent.
Step 2) - Once the soffritto is ready, add the cooked beans and mix well. Let them absorb the flavors of the aromatic base for a couple of minutes before stirring in the tomato passata. Mix everything together so the beans and vegetables are well coated in the sauce.
Step 3) - Next, pour in the hot vegetable broth and add the bay leaves. Stir, cover with a lid, and let it simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes. The flavors will meld together, creating a rich and hearty broth.
When the soup is cooked, taste and adjust the salt if needed.
TIP: If you used salted broth or canned beans (which are usually pre-seasoned), you may not need to add much, so always taste before adding more.
Blend the Beans
Step 4) - To make the soup extra creamy, transfer 3 or 4 ladles of it (avoiding the bay leaves) to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
Step 5) - Now, add the pasta to the simmering soup and cook until al dente, following the cooking time indicated on the package. Be sure to stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the blended soup mixture to give it a creamier texture. Taste again and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Your Pasta e Fagioli is now ready to be served! Ladle it into bowls and finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for an extra touch of flavor.
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Pasta e Ceci (Italian Pasta and Chickpea Soup)
- Pisarei e Fasò (Bread Gnocchi with Beans)
- Lentil Soup (Zuppa di Lenticchie)
- Fagioli all’Uccelletto (White Beans in Tomato Sauce)
Storage
Pasta e Fagioli is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store any leftovers for later.
Once cooled, transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the pasta will continue to absorb liquid, making the soup thicker over time.
If you plan to store it for longer, it’s best to freeze the soup without the pasta. Cook the beans and broth as instructed, let it cool completely, then freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw the soup, bring it to a gentle simmer, and cook the pasta fresh before serving.
To reheat refrigerated Pasta e Fagioli, warm it over low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth if needed to loosen the consistency. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, stirring occasionally for even heating.
Variations
Garlic and Herbs: Enhancing Flavor Without Overpowering
Garlic adds a wonderful depth of flavor, but its strong aroma can sometimes overpower the other ingredients. That’s why, in this recipe, we infuse the oil with garlic and herbs, then remove them before proceeding.
Leaving rosemary in the soup can cause its needles to fall off, making the texture unpleasant. Similarly, sage has a bold flavor that intensifies with long cooking. If you prefer, you can leave the sage in and remove it just before serving or finely chop it and mix it into the soup.
Using Dried or Fresh Beans
Italian tradition favors dried or fresh beans over canned ones for pasta e fagioli. While canned beans are a convenient shortcut, fresh or dried beans provide a richer texture and deeper flavor. In summer, many regions prepare pasta e fagioli with fresh beans, taking advantage of seasonal ingredients.
If using dried beans, soak them in water for at least 12 hours (preferably overnight) to soften them before cooking. Fresh beans, on the other hand, do not require soaking.
To cook the beans, place them in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Add two sage leaves, a garlic clove, one tablespoon of coarse salt, and one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Simmer for 60-80 minutes, or until the beans are tender but still whole. Once cooked, discard the garlic and sage, drain the beans, and set them aside for the recipe.
Neapolitan Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta e Fasule)
Every Italian region has its own version of pasta e fagioli, but in Naples, it’s known as "Pasta e Fasule" or "Past e Fasul" in dialect. This dish, rooted in cucina povera, is a southern Italian staple, often made thicker and creamier than other versions.
To make Neapolitan-style pasta e fagioli, sauté two peeled garlic cloves in extra virgin olive oil, then add quartered fresh San Marzano tomatoes and chopped parsley. Let them soften, then mash them slightly with a fork. Add the boiled beans, a pinch of salt, and some water, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Next, add a bit more water, bring to a boil, and cook the pasta directly in the soup until al dente, stirring occasionally. The starch from the pasta creates a naturally creamy texture.
Once ready, season to taste and serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for added richness.
The dialect pronunciation "pasta fazool" (derived from "fasul") became popular in the United States, especially thanks to Italian immigrants from the south. This name was also made famous in American culture, for example, in the song That's Amore by Dean Martin:
"When the stars make you drool just like pasta fazool..."
Recipe Card
Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans Soup)
Ingredients
- 200 g pasta - 7 oz, ditalini or any small pasta of your choice
- 700 g beans - 1.5 pound, cooked borlotti beans (cranberry beans) – This equals about 600 g (1.3 pound) of fresh beans, 300 g (10 oz) of dried beans, or 3 cans of canned beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium celery stalk
- 150 g tomato passata - ¾ cup
- 6 sage leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 liter vegetable broth - 4 cups
- 5 tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the whole garlic cloves (peeled), a sprig of rosemary, and the sage leaves. Let them gently sauté on low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the garlic turns golden and fragrant. At this point, remove the garlic, rosemary, and sage from the pot.
- Dice the carrot and celery, finely chop the onion. Add the chopped vegetables to the pot. Stir well and let them cook on low for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent.
- Once the soffritto is ready, add the cooked beans and mix well. Let them absorb the flavors of the aromatic base for a couple of minutes before stirring in the tomato passata. Mix everything together so the beans and vegetables are well coated in the sauce.
- Next, pour in the hot vegetable broth and add the bay leaves. Stir, cover with a lid, and let it simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes. The flavors will meld together, creating a rich and hearty broth.
- When the soup is cooked, taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- To make the soup extra creamy, transfer 3 or 4 ladles of it (avoiding the bay leaves) to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Add the pasta to the simmering soup and cook until al dente, following the cooking time indicated on the package. Be sure to stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the blended soup mixture to give it a creamier texture. Taste again and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Your Pasta e Fagioli is now ready to be served! Ladle it into bowls and finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for an extra touch of flavor.
Kim says
My ex-boyfriend's Nonna used to make this and I absolutely loved it! Never found a recipe like she used to make until now. Cannot wait to try it!!!
Jennifer Jones says
Do do you usually put any kind of meat, such as Italian sausage or chicken in this recipe?
Barbara says
Hi Jennifer, thank you for your comment.
No, not in this recipe. This is the classic pasta e fagioli recipe, completely vegetarian. There are other versions in Italy, one of these wants lard in the soffritto, another version wants pork rind, which is sometimes replaced by pork sausage, but it is a regional variant. Chicken in the pasta e fagioli soup ... no, I would say no. It's maybe more like a pasta sauce, at least here in Italy, made with beans, tomatoes and chicken breast.
Heather says
As a little girl, my mama would make this for me, and she would slice up hot dogs or pork chop, sometimes diced ham, or bacon. I think she did this to get me to eat meat, as I was extremely picky eater. To this day, I like it with diced ham or cooked Italian sausage.