Classic Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli is a hearty Italian stew that we absolutely can’t get enough of! This savory soup is a family favorite meal that is ready to eat in just 30 minutes!
It is still soup weather in the mid west, and we are loving it. This winter stormy weather keeps us inside, focusing on our family and creating memories together. Our favorite place to create memories is in the kitchen making and enjoying recipes like this one. Nothing goes together quite as well as family time and a hearty soup (with some crusty artisan bread on the side, of course). We love the delicate balance of the Italian sausage, pasta, fresh veggies, and herbs that come together quite beautifully in this recipe. It tastes like good old fashioned home cooking, where nothing comes from a can. Join us please, we know you’ll love it!
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Can Pasta e Fagioli be made vegetarian?
Yes! This recipe is easily customizable to fit your personal taste preferences and dietary needs. You can simply omit the Italian sausage, and depending on your level of vegetarianism, substitute the beef broth with vegetable broth.
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Dry or Canned Beans:
You can always cook dried beans ahead of time and use those if you prefer to not use canned beans. Cooking dried beans can take quite awhile, so you will want to prep up to a full day ahead of time depending on your method for cooking beans. Simply weigh out (or measure) your pre-cooked beans to make 15 ounces, or just under 2 cups.
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Pasta Options:
We know it can be difficult to come by these more specialty pasta shapes at your grocery store. You have a few options if you cannot find ditalini pasta: tubetti and anelli pasta are both excellent substitutes. In a pinch, you could even use elbow macaroni.
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Low Sodium Broth:
Whether you are making this recipe as originally written with beef broth, or going vegetarian and using vegetable broth, we always recommend using low sodium broth so you can control your sodium content to your personal taste preferences.
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Make-Ahead Instructions:
This soup can be easily made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Follow instructions through step 3, and then let cool and store in the fridge in an airtight container. When you are ready to reheat and serve, bring your soup back to a boil over high heat and then add in your pasta and finish with the remaining instructions.
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Storage and reheating instructions:
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. You can reheat a small bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments until warmed through, or in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious soup recipes:
Classic Pasta e Fagioli
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion , diced
- 1 cup finely diced carrots
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 5 cloves minced garlic
- 4 cups beef broth
- 30 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 15 ounce can red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon salt , or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper , or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta
Garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh basil , roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
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Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add in Italian sausage and brown, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
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Add in onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened and sausage is cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes more. Add in garlic during the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking.
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Pour in beef broth, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and cannellini beans. Season with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat.
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Add in ditalini pasta. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Serve hot and garnish generously with basil, parmesan cheese, and freshly cracked black pepper.