This Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe features two types of beans, white and red, as well as fresh sage leaves for a delicious and robust flavor.
Pasta Fagioli Soup, often pronounced Pasta Fazool, has many variations. Pasta Fagioli (written Pasta e Fagioli in Italian) translates in English to pasta and beans, which are the two must-have ingredients to make this Italian classic. Some like this soup very thick, almost resembling a hearty pasta dish with a touch of broth. Others enjoy it more like a traditional soup with lots of broth. Therefore, making your Pasta Fagioli the way you like it all depends on the amount of liquid and what ingredients you choose to add. For me, I like it somewhere in between – just on the border of a true soup, almost with a consistency similar to that of chili. Greg, on the other hand, prefers his with a lot of broth. To make us both happy, I usually take less of the broth when serving and give him more.
Now, for where I got my inspiration for this version – our local Italian specialties market! This particular market offers a wide variety of traditional and modern Italian fare. Of course, pasta fagioli is one of their signature soups. Unlike many versions of this dish, theirs does not contain any celery or carrots – just pasta, cannellini beans and tomatoes. It is absolutely fabulous! The problem is that it can become pretty expensive to constantly purchase pre-made soups. So, I decided to create my own take on it, using the idea of not adding celery or carrots. My Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe features two types of beans, white and red, as well as fresh sage leaves for a delicious and robust flavor.
I hope you will enjoy this dish just as much as we did. Buon Appetito!
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (28 oz) can peeled plum shaped tomatoes (ours were in tomato juice, but you can use what you can find in your grocery store – i.e. in puree – please note that this may make the soup thicker and you may have to make adjustments to add more liquid)
- 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 6-8 sage leaves (whole or chopped)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups ditalini pasta
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper (seasoning, adjust to taste)
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese (for serving)
- Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add chopped onion and garlic and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking (we used approximately ½ teaspoon of salt and about ¼ of pepper-keep an eye on how much salt is in your stock/broth as that will play a role in the amount of salt you will need to use).
- Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Then add the tomatoes and their juice.
- Use a potato masher to crush the tomatoes into the mixture.
- Stir in both the white and red beans and sage leaves.
- Then add both the chicken stock and vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil and let boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the pasta and continue boiling for 10 more minutes, again stirring occasionally.
- Then turn off the heat and let the soup rest for several minutes.
- Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.
- You can remove the sage leaves before serving if you desire, but they do add a phenomenal flavor if you leave them in and they are safe to eat if you choose to do so!
©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and images are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.
This looks so comforting and perfect for Fall.
Thank you Christine! 🙂
Should the beans be strained and rinsed before adding to the pot?
Hi Stephanie. Yes, they should be drained and rinsed beforehand. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the soup! Have a great day!
What a simple and beautiful version of this classic soup. I love pasta e fagioli, especially on a chilly fall of winter evening. All I need is a loaf of good bread and a green salad and I’m set. Dinner and heaven, all in one.
Thanks Laura! Yes, bread and salad is a perfect match!
Mine looks more red from the tomatoes
Hi Susanne! The red color is normal and ours often looks red too. In fact, if you look at step-by-step pictures, it is pretty red there. The step photos and the final shots were actually taken on two separate occasions after my husband got his new camera and lighting so that could explain why they look different. In any event, I hope you enjoyed the flavors. Have a wonderful day!