Vegan Pasta e Fagioli

Modified: Oct 21, 2023 by Addison LaBonte · This post may contain affiliate links · 36 Comments

This one-pot pasta e fagioli is easy to make and ready in around 30 minutes. This hearty vegan soup features two types of beans, gluten-free pasta and a touch of fresh rosemary for a rich and robust flavor. Low in fat and high in both fiber and protein, this nutritious soup is also easily made oil-free.

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overhead of pasta e fagioli in white bowl on wooden board garnished with pepper and parsley

We are all about delicious soup in my household.

It's the ultimate comfort food that I know pairs well with other light recipes and can be served by itself, especially when it's a hearty and filling soup like this one.

I was so excited to take a traditional pasta e fagioli soup and make it vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

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Why you'll love this vegan pasta e fagioli recipe
What is pasta e fagioli?
Ingredient highlights
What pasta works best for pasta fazool?
How to make vegan pasta fagioli soup
Helpful Tips
Ideas for serving this pasta and bean soup
Frequently asked questions
Substitutions for pasta fagioli
More vegan soup recipes
Vegan Pasta e Fagioli

overhead of two bowls of soup in white bowls on wooden board

Why you'll love this vegan pasta e fagioli recipe

You only need to use one pot for the cooking process, making clean up sooooo easy
Extremely flavorful and easy to make this hearty soup
Uses a lot of pantry staple inexpensive ingredients so you don't have to go run to a bunch of grocery stores for your ingredients
Leftovers are even better the next day
This great recipe warms you up from the inside out, perfect for cold days
A delicious Italian classic soup that the entire family will love

What is pasta e fagioli?

In English, Pasta e Fagioli translates to pasta and beans, which are the two must-have ingredients for this classic Italian dish.

There are many variations regarding the rest of the ingredients, but I like to keep mine simple, yet delicious.

When I was growing up, we pronounced this dish "pasta fazool."

You know like in the Dean Martin song...

"When the stars make you drool, just like pasta fazool, that's amore..."

However you pronounce it, one thing is for sure...it is definitely drool worthy! 😉

Ingredient highlights

Vegetable broth
Beans - I used a combo of cannellini beans and dark red kidney beans, but you can use any combo of white beans and other beans
Pasta - I used gluten-free pasta, but you can use regularl wheat pasta if you're not gluten-free
Canned diced tomato
Onion
Spices and herbs - I used garlic, rosemary, parsley, black pepper, and salt
Olive oil

What pasta works best for pasta fazool?

The best pasta to use for pasta fagioli is a small pasta shape such as shells or elbows. I used Jovial brand brown rice shells in mine.

Although ditalini pasta is typically used in pasta fagioli, I have not seen a gluten-free version in stores.

I was able to find this brand of ditalini on Amazon, but have not personally tried it. Feel free to give it a go and use it in place of the shells if you'd like.

And of course, if you are not gluten-free, you can use a non GF pasta.

I recommend cooking the pasta al dente so it holds up well in your soup.

front view of two bowls of soup on a wooden board

How to make vegan pasta fagioli soup

Heat olive oil over medium in a 5-qt. soup pot.

Add chopped onion and garlic and season with salt.

Cook until the onion is translucent, stirring frequently (approximately 2-3 minutes).

Add diced tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the beans and vegetable broth.

onion and garlic cooking in olive oil in soup pot

Add a rosemary sprig and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the rosemary sprig.

Stir in the pasta and cook uncovered on medium-high until pasta is tender.

Once pasta is tender, turn off the heat and stir in fresh parsley plus salt and pepper to taste.

Now that's amore! Mangia!

holding a ladle of soup over the rest of soup in the pot

Helpful Tips

Some other soup recipes call for using tomato sauce and tomato paste in addition to your diced tomatoes, but I feel like the diced tomatoes do enough for the soup. If you want to bring more of a tomato base to this soup, you can try some paste or sauce as it cooks.
Let this soup cool down to room temperature before transferring it to a storage container.

Ideas for serving this pasta and bean soup

You can enjoy it as is or garnish with some freshly ground black pepper, fresh parsley and/or some vegan Parmesan cheese.

You can use your favorite store-bought brand of vegan Parm or try our homemade pumpkin seed Parmesan.

This soup is perfect alongside some warm gluten-free, vegan bread or a side salad with our homemade Italian dressing.

You can also serve it with our easy vegan and gluten-free garlic bread or with our almond flour biscuits that are oil-free and feature a grain-free option.

Try this vegan gnocchi too!

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this recipe oil-free?

Yes! You can use a vegan Pinot Grigio or water to replace the oil used to cook the onion and garlic. See the recipe card notes below for cooking instructions.

Can I make this soup grain-free?

Yes, this pasta fagioli can be made grain-free by using a grain-free pasta such as a legume-based pasta. Banza, Whole Foods and Chickapea are some brands that make grain-free pasta shells.

How do I store and reheat pasta e fagioli?

Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the leftovers in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave in a covered microwave-safe container until warmed throughout. When reheating, you may need to add more broth as the pasta tends to soak it up while sitting in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze pasta fagioli?

I don't recommend freezing as the gluten-free pasta tends to break apart and get mushy. However, if you do choose to freeze the soup, be sure to thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating. Once defrosted, reheat the soup on the stovetop, ensuring you bring it to a boil.

overhead soup in white bowl on wooden board with spoon and part of another bowl showing behind it

Substitutions for pasta fagioli

Herbs: If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs instead. For the rosemary, use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary in place of the sprig. For the parsley, use 2 teaspoons dried parsley instead of the fresh. Stir in both of the dried herbs right after adding the vegetable broth.
Pasta: If you prefer, you can use a different shape of pasta noodle such as elbow macaroni. And if you are not gluten-free, you can use a non GF pasta, if preferred.
Beans: If you'd like, you can use 2 cans of cannellini or 2 cans of dark red kidney beans instead of the combination. You can also swap these beans out for other options, like great northern beans, etc.

More vegan soup recipes

close-up overhead of pasta fagioli in white bowl garnished with pepper and parsley

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5 from 16 votes

Vegan Pasta e Fagioli

Course Main Course, Pasta, Soup

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Italian, Vegan

Keyword beans, gluten free, grain-free, one-pot, pasta, pasta e fagioli, pasta fazool, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 301kcal

Author Sireesha A.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (For the oil-free option, use 2 tbsp. water or vegan Pinot Grigio to add some extra flavor)
¼ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
32 oz. low sodium vegetable broth (use certified gluten-free if needed)
1 sprig rosemary *See notes below for using dried rosemary instead
6 oz. gluten-free pasta shells (feel free to use another shape such as elbows or non GF pasta if you are not gluten-free)
2 tablespoon fresh, chopped parsley *See notes below for using dried parsley instead
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat olive oil over in a 5-qt. soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring frequently (approximately 2-3 minutes). **See notes below for the oil-free option.
Add diced tomatoes and their juice and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add beans and vegetable broth. Gently stir to combine.
Add rosemary sprig and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the rosemary sprig.
Stir in pasta and cook uncovered on medium-high until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally (approximately 8-12 minutes depending on which pasta you are using).
Once pasta is tender, turn off the heat and stir in fresh, chopped parsley.
Stir in salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

Notes

*To substitute dried herbs for fresh: For the rosemary, use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary in place of the sprig. For the parsley, use 2 teaspoons dried parsley instead of the fresh. Stir in both of the dried herbs right after adding the vegetable broth.

**For the oil-free option, add wine or water, onion, garlic and salt to taste to the soup pot. Turn heat to medium and cook until liquid has evaporated (approximately 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.

The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leftovers can be reheated in a pot on the stovetop until warmed throughout or in the microwave in a covered microwave-safe container.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition was calculated based on using Jovial brown rice pasta shells. Using a different pasta may change the nutritional information. The olive oil option was also used to calculate nutrition. Using wine or water instead will change the calculation.

Nutrition

This post originally appeared on Watch Learn Eat on October 19, 2018. It has been republished to reflect both recipe and photo revisions. Changes to the story were also made.

©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.

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Comments

5 from 16 votes (1 rating without comment)

Why you'll love this vegan pasta e fagioli recipe

What is pasta e fagioli?

Ingredient highlights

What pasta works best for pasta fazool?

How to make vegan pasta fagioli soup

Helpful Tips

Ideas for serving this pasta and bean soup

Frequently asked questions

Substitutions for pasta fagioli

More vegan soup recipes

Vegan Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

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Comments

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