Soup season is officially here and the first one I’m whipping up is definitely Pasta e Fagioli! Pasta e Fagioli was my favorite soup growing up and still is today. Every Italian has a recipe for it in their arsenal! It’s great for family gatherings, football sunday, or even just weeknight dinner. It’s hearty, packed with yummy veggies and plant based protein and fairly easy to put together!
My parents used to make a version passed down from their parents. Throughout the years my dad has changed it up a bit, which is what I’ve grown to love. In traditional Pasta e Fagioli you leave the chopped carrots, onions and celery chunky after they are cooked down. In my version I puree them as well as half of the beans to create a thicker, creamier soup. This is also a great way to sneak in veggies for kids. My daughter is in a picky phase and won’t touch her vegetables but she gobbles this soup up no problem!
Pasta Fagioli is naturally healthy for you and it’s filled with lots of fiber and protein.I recommend fresh herbs, they make the flavor better and puree nice so you don’t get a grainy texture. A little salty pecorino romano or parmesan is the perfect way to top this soup off. Serve with some crostinis or crunchy bread for dipping!
Tips:
- If you’re planning on having leftovers I recommend cooking the ditalini separate. Just drizzle with a little olive oil after draining and add to individual servings. This way the noodles don’t soak up all of the broth.
- Sometimes I like to throw in some extra veggies with a couple generous handfuls of spinach right at the end.
- To make prep quicker I like to use my Cuisineart to chop up the onion, celery and carrots.
Pasta e Fagioli is great for family gathering or weeknight dinner! It's healthy, hearty and delicious! The perfect comfort food on a cold day!
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.5 teaspoons anchovy paste (optional)
- 4 ribs of celery, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 quart water, plus 1 cup (separated)
- 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
- 3, 15oz cans cannellini or great northern beans
- 2, 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons, fresh parsley
- 3 teaspoons fresh oregano
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2.5 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups dried ditalini pasta
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat sauté olive oil, onion and garlic until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Make a well in the middle of the pan then add tomato paste and anchovy paste, sauté about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Meanwhile puree 1.5 cans of beans with 1 cup of water in a blender until smooth. Crush the tomatoes by hand and keep them in their juice.
- Add celery, carrots, chicken stock, 1 quart of water, tomatoes and pureed beans. Bring to a boil, this will take about 10 minutes. Meanwhile chop fresh herbs and add them to the pot along with salt and pepper. Once you reach a boil turn heat to low and simmer covered for about 25 minutes.
- Remove sprigs of rosemary and turn off heat. Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth (see notes below). Add remaining 1.5 cans of beans and ditalini pasta, cook until al dente according to the pasta package (see notes below). Top with freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese.
Notes:
- If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a large blender in batches. This soup is also delicious without blending if you prefer to leave the vegetables as is.
- If you plan on keeping leftovers I recommend cooking/storing the ditalini separately and adding to individual servings, otherwise it will soak up most of the broth. Just drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the cooked ditalini before storing leftovers
- Store in refrigerator up to 4 days or freezer up to 6 months.
Nutrition: Yield: 18 servings, Serving Size : 1 cup, Amount Per Serving: Calories: 200 Total Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 932mg, Total Carbohydrate: 37g, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 5g, Protein: 9g
