Vegan Pasta e Fagioli
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.
Jump to Recipe
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.
Jump to:
- 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
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- Pasta e Ceci
- Panera Black Bean Soup (Copycat)
- Chickpea Noodle Soup
- Quinoa Soup with Mini Vegan Meatballs
- Creamy White Bean Soup
- Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Vegan Pasta e Fagioli
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
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.
This vegan pasta e fagioli sounds and looks FANTASTIC!! I would love to try this. I also love how it's gluten free too!
Thank you Christie! Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try! 🙂
Can this soup be made in a slow cooker?
Hi Roxanne...I haven't tried making it in a slow cooker before, so I'm not sure how it would turn out. You might have to adjust the measurement of the vegetable broth as liquid won't boil off in the slow cooker. If you give it a try, let me know. Thanks and have a great day!
I love this Pasta e Fagioli. Great comfort food for these cold months.
Thank you Dawn! 🙂
Now this is what I call a true Fall hearty dish. I love the flavors and how easy this is to make. Perfect family dinner for busy weekdays. I'm saving this to try. Looks and sounds super delicious!
Thank you Natalie! I hope you enjoy! 🙂
This sounds like a great soul warming soup that everyone can enjoy. I love that this is grain and gluten-free those recipes are hard to find.
Thank you Tanya! The chickpea pasta made of just chickpeas and lentils allowed for this dish to not only be gluten-free, but grain-free too...a win, win! 🙂
I've never tried chickapea pasta before, but I love chickpeas, so I'll have to find some and try it out. This soup looks really warm and comforting, perfect for this cooler weather
Definitely give it a try when you can...if you can't get it in stores by you, it's available on Amazon. Thanks so much, Karyl! 🙂
This looks so delicious! I'm a huge soup fan so this Pasta e Fagioli is right up my alley! I'm all about using gluten free pasta whenever I can.
Thanks Holly! The chickpea pasta is definitely a winner! 🙂
I LOVE chickpea pasta, and I'm always looking for new, creative ways to use it. This soup is just what I've been looking for: easy, healthy, and delicious. Great recipe!
Thanks Daniela! I love chickpea pasta too! 🙂 I hope you enjoy the soup!
This soup has so much flavor. Perfect option for a busy lunch or even for a weekend family dinner!
Thanks Tatiana! It's definitely very flavorful! 🙂
I started to comment and erased everything I wrote -- it was about your "pronunciation" of fagioli. Anyway, your dish looks good and rich and I bet you don't even realize it's gluten free. My mamma made this dish a lot. It's one of our favorites.
LOL...I've done that so many times. Thanks so much, Marisa! The chickpea pasta is just so perfect in this soup and soaked in all the broth, you definitely can't tell it's gluten-free. So nice to have a family favorite. 🙂
This looks so hearty and comforting! A perfect soup for the fall and winter!
Thank you Kelly!
I love the option of having gluten-free pasta and I love the idea of chickpea pasta. SimpleThis sauce sounds so amazing in simple. Saving this folate
Thanks Veena! Hope you give it a try!
Now this is definitely my kind of soup It sounds and looks awesome. I love the flavoursome combination of the ingredients. Perfect for lunch or dinner on a chilly day.
Thanks Emily! 🙂
Pasta e Fagioli is such a classic! It reminds of winter family dinners, so comforting!
Thank you Jessica! 🙂
There's certainly a whole lot of amore going on in this recipe! Love that this is a vegan soup but still satisfying and comforting!
Thanks Kiki! It's definitely still very satisfying! 🙂
One of my favourite soups of all time is with pasta and beans. Theres something so perfect about the combination of beans (especially cannellini beans) with tomato and pasta and your recipe looks simply amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Aleta! I loooove cannellini beans! 🙂
Nothing beats a good soul-warming soup like this. Gluten and grain free! It doesn't get much better 🙂
Thanks so much, Jacque! 🙂
Ah! Pasta fazool is a classic! I remember Laura raving about this soup when I first met her. At the time, I didn't know what it was, but it has become a winter-time staple in our house. This version looks delicious, Sherri! It's amazing how so much flavor can come from such a simple recipe! Now I'm craving pasta fazool for dinner tonight...and I've also got 'That's Amore' stuck in my head. Thanks a lot for that one! 🙂
LOL...like a big pizza pie 😉 Thanks so much, David!