Picture a chilly evening when you get home, put your bag down and immediately start thinking about something hot to eat. A bowl of pasta e fagioli soup sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Thick, creamy and comforting without giving your wallet something to cry about, it is the kind of dinner you eat slowly, partly to enjoy it and partly because you were too impatient to let it cool.
Pasta and beans might seem like a simple combination, but that is exactly the appeal. This dish belongs to Italy’s cucina povera, a tradition of making the most of inexpensive ingredients and wasting as little as possible. Families prepared it with what they had available, which helps explain why the recipe changes from region to region and even from one household to the next. And if you ask me, no Italian household is complete without its own version of this humble dish.
I visited Ristorante Paoli in Florence, where Chef Angelo Iorio showed me how he makes his pasta e fagioli. If your idea of a good dinner is something soupy and soul-warming that leaves you scraping the bowl, you will want to try this recipe. Let me show you what I learned in his kitchen.
Watch: Perfect Pasta e Fagioli – Chef In Italy Shares His Unique Recipe
Five Beans, One Beautiful Soup
Chef Angelo used five types of beans in his pasta e fagioli soup: black-eyed beans, piattellini, black beans, borlotti and zolfini. Piattellini have a delicate flavor and tender skins, while borlotti are the familiar speckled beans often used in Italian cooking. Zolfini are small, pale yellow Tuscan beans prized for their thin skins and creamy texture. Together, the different varieties give the soup a fuller flavor than you might expect from such a humble dish.
For the vegetable base, he used savoy cabbage, carrots, white onion and extra virgin olive oil. His advice was simple: cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces and let them cook slowly. You do not want some pieces still firm while the smaller ones have already cooked to nothing.
Chef Angelo also emphasized using enough water as the vegetables and beans cooked together. Too little liquid could leave the beans undercooked, and no amount of blending could fix that. Keep an eye on the liquid and check that the beans are tender all the way through before moving on.
Chef Angelo’s Pasta e Fagioli Soup Recipe
Print Recipe
Equipment
- 5 small-sized pots
- Large-sized pot
- Medium-sized pot
- knife
- Cutting board
- Metal spoon
- Ladle
- Spatula
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2.2 lb dried black-eyed beans, (for the base, + 150g to mix in)
- 1 savoy cabbage
- 3 white onions
- 5 carrots
- 5 L / 5.3 qt water
- 150 g Piattellini beans
- 150 g Black-eyed beans
- 150 g Black beans
- 150 g Borlotti beans
- 150 g Zolfini beans
- 1 L Tomato passata
- Extra virgin olive oil, (as much as required)
- 300 g Ditali rigati pasta
Instructions
- Cook the 5 bean varieties separately in five pots of unsalted water for about 30 minutes: black-eyed beans, piattellini, black beans, borlotti and zolfini. These black-eyed beans are separate from the 1 kg / 2.2 lb used later for the blended base.
- Wash the savoy cabbage and carrots, and peel the onions and carrots. Quarter the cabbage and slice it into small pieces. Dice the onions and carrots into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Pour a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil into a large pot and add the vegetables. Cook over low heat, stirring regularly, until softened.
- Add the 1 kg of dried, uncooked black-eyed beans to the softened vegetables, followed by the tomato passata and 5 liters of water. Stir to combine.
- Cook for about 1 hour. Stir regularly with a spatula, scraping along the sides to prevent sticking.
- Transfer 4-6 laddles of cooked mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth and thick. Pour the blended base into a medium-sized pot.
- Add one spoonful of each of the five cooked bean varieties to the blended base, including the separately cooked black-eyed beans. Stir gently to combine.
- Cook the ditali rigati in a separate pot of boiling water for approximately 6–7 minutes, checking the package instructions and tasting if al dente.
- Drain and add the pasta to the pot containing the bean and vegetable mixture. Stir until evenly combined.
Video
Notes
How to Serve Pasta e Fagioli
Ladle the thick, creamy pasta fagioli soup into a bowl, making sure you get plenty of pasta and tender beans in every serving. Be generous here, a tiny portion is only going to lead to a second trip to the pot. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, then bring it straight to the table while it is still steaming.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pasta e Fagioli Soup
What is pasta e fagioli soup?
Pasta e fagioli means “pasta and beans.” This traditional Italian soup (also known as pasta fazool in Italian-American communities) has many regional and family variations. Some are brothy, while others are thick and creamy, with vegetables, herbs and sometimes meat adding flavor.
Is this pasta e fagioli soup a vegetarian dish?
It can be. Make it with pasta and beans, veggies, olive oil and water or vegetable broth for a vegetarian dish. Some recipes include pancetta, sausage or meat-based broth, so check the ingredients if you are ordering it at a restaurant.
How do you make pasta e fagioli creamy without cream?
Blend or mash a portion of the fully cooked beans, then stir them back into the pot. The creamy beans naturally thicken the soup, while the remaining whole beans provide texture. If you cook the pasta directly in the soup, its starch also helps thicken the liquid.
Can I make pasta e fagioli with pantry ingredients?
Yes. Canned beans, dried pasta, olive oil and canned tomatoes or passata make a useful starting point, although not every version includes tomatoes. With canned beans and just an onion or a few vegetables to chop, you can keep prep to a minimum. Dried beans work beautifully too, but require more planning and cooking time.
Which beans are best for pasta e fagioli?
Borlotti and cannellini are common choices. Borlotti have a slightly nutty flavor, while cannellini are mild and creamy. Use one variety or combine several, depending on what you have available. The important thing is to cook them until tender before blending or serving.
What kinds of pasta can I use?
Small shapes such as ditalini, ditali rigati and small elbows work well because you can scoop up pasta and beans together. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and follow the cooking times on the package as a guide, tasting as you go. If cooking the pasta directly in the soup, stir regularly and add liquid as needed.
Should I cook the pasta separately or in the soup?
Both methods work. Cooking pasta in the soup allows it to absorb flavor and release starch into the broth. Cooking it separately gives you more control over the consistency and is especially useful when making enough for leftovers. Add only as much cooked pasta as you plan to serve.
What herbs go well in pasta e fagioli?
Rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley all work, depending on the flavor you enjoy. Add a small amount of rosemary, sage or thyme during cooking, or finish with chopped fresh parsley. You do not need all of them in one pot. Choose one or two so the herbs complement the beans.
Can I add garlic to pasta e fagioli?
Yes. Garlic adds flavor to the vegetable base. Cook it gently in olive oil, taking care not to burn it. A lightly crushed clove gives a gentler flavor and can be removed, while chopped garlic spreads more evenly throughout the soup.
Can I add pancetta or other meat?
Yes. Pancetta adds savory richness and is used in some versions of pasta e fagioli. Dice it and cook it first, then use the rendered fat to soften your vegetables. Italian sausage or lean ground beef can also work for a heartier variation. Brown the meat before adding the liquid, and taste before adjusting the seasoning, especially when using salty pancetta or sausage.
How do I store pasta e fagioli leftovers?
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and place them in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 3–4 days. When possible, store the pasta separately so it does not soak up the broth and become overly soft.
How do I reheat pasta e fagioli soup?
Add a little water or broth to loosen the soup, then warm it in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove top. Stir frequently to prevent sticking, bring it to a rolling boil and ensure it reaches 165°F throughout. Heat only the portion you plan to eat.
Grazie to Ristorante Paoli and Chef Angelo Iorio
A big thank you to Ristorante Paoli and Chef Angelo Iorio for welcoming me into the kitchen and sharing this pasta e fagioli soup recipe. I loved seeing the care that went into a dish so many Italians grew up eating, from choosing five different beans to patiently cooking the vegetable base. Now you can bring a little of that Florence experience to your own table. Just make sure you have a pot big enough!
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Loved This Pasta e Fagioli Soup? Here’s What to Cook Next
- NONNA’S PASTA E FAGIOLI – Want to try Nonna Igea’s version? Her pasta e fagioli combines fresh tender pasta, beans and guanciale with homemade tomato sauce and herbs, perfect for a slow Sunday lunch with the family.
- BAKED BEANS RECIPE – Give red kidney beans and cannellini beans the Italian treatment with rich passata, rosemary, crispy guanciale and melted Pecorino, then find a thick slice of toast that can handle the assignment.
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