A hearty and adaptable recipe for Pasta Fagioli, a traditional Italian soup stocked with beans and pasta in a flavorful herby tomato broth. A perfect one-bowl meal! Video. Check out 25 Cozy Vegetarian Soup Recipes
I’m not going to lie; the first time I tried Pasta e Fagioli was when I worked at the Olive Garden in the early ’90s while still in college. All you could eat “Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks” was the most commonly ordered item because of its affordability, and back then, it was all the rage, especially among college students. The soup was surprisingly good! Hearty, warming, and comforting!
We’ve taken everything we love about it and tweaked and perfected it through the years! Our version of Pasta Fagioli is made with ground turkey for added protein, with a bit of smoked paprika to give depth of flavor. Both fresh and dried herbs, along with tomatoes, create a flavorful broth.
Pasta Fagioli | 60-Sec Video
Table of Contents
Pasta Fagioli Soup Ingredients
We love that this recipe is totally adaptable! Pasta e Fagioli translates to “pasta and beans,” and you can switch these out as you like! Cannellini beans and ditalini pasta are completely interchangeable with what you have on hand. Use whatever meat you prefer. Some traditions swear on pancetta. Others use bacon or ground beef. Feel free to add a plant-based option.
- Protein– we use ground turkey here. Feel free to substitute ground beef, ground lamb, Italian sausage, bacon, or plant-based “meat”.
- Beans– cannellini or chickpeas, navy beans, kidney beans or whatever your favorite or a combo of two or three different types.
- Pasta– use small-shaped pasta (gluten-free if needed) such as ditalini, shells, elbows, or orzo.
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Ways to enhance Fagioli
- throw in a parmesan rind into the simmering broth for a rich enhancement.
- add red pepper flakes or Aleppo for spice.
How to make Pasta Fagioli with Meat
Step One- As you chop your vegetables, think of the size of the noodles and chop in a roughly similar size. Keeping sizes small gives a chance for a well-rounded bite with one spoonful!
Step Two- In a soup pot add olive oil and onions sauté about 5 minutes until translucent and softened.
Add garlic, ground turkey, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Saute about 3 minutes.
Step Three– Stir in celery, carrots and rosemary, basil, thyme and marjoram for about 1 minute to combine. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans simmer 20 minutes.
Step Four- Add pasta, cook until tender about 8-12 minutes. Add red wine vinegar.
Step Five- Adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. Add red pepper flakes or Aleppo for spicy goodness.
Top with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired.
How to serve this Traditional Italian Pasta Fagioli Recipe
- Classic Caesar Salad
- Radicchio Salad with Asian Pear & Walnuts
- Savory Leek Bread
- Rosemary Olive Sourdough Bread
Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe FAQs
Made with turkey, beans and a rich tomato broth, Pasta e Fagioli is full of healthy protein, essential amino acids, and minerals.
A traditional Italian dish, meaning “pasta and beans”. It was a common peasant dish composed of inexpensive ingredients.
Yes, substitute plant-based meat for the turkey or leave it out adding more veggies to the mix.
More Soup Recipes You May Enjoy
This recipe gets even more flavorful in the next day or two. Yay for leftovers!
Hope you enjoy, Tonia
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
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Recipe for Pasta Fagioli
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8+ cups 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
A hearty and completely adaptable delicious soup, Pasta Fagioli is a traditional Italian soup stocked with beans, meat and pasta in a flavorful herby tomato broth.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 12 ounces ground turkey, ground beef, ground lamb, or plant-based substitute
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 celery stalks, chopped small
- 1 cup carrots, chopped small
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 teaspoon each dried basil, thyme, and marjoram
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 15 oz tomatoes, whole or crushed
- 15 ounces (1 1/2 cups) northern cannellini beans, not drained
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 4 ounces dry pasta ( 1 heaping cup)- ditalini or other small pasta
Top with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.
Instructions
- As you chop your vegetables, think of the size of the noodles and chop in a roughly similar size.
- In a soup pot add olive oil and onions sauté about 5 minutes until translucent and softened.
- Add garlic, ground turkey, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Saute about 3 minutes.
- Stir in celery, carrots and rosemary, basil, thyme and marjoram for about 1 minute to combine. Add broth, tomatoes (break up a bit with a spoon if using whole tomatoes), and beans simmer 20 minutes.
- Add pasta, cook until tender about 8-12 minutes. Add red wine vinegar.
- Adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. Add red pepper flakes or Aleppo for spicy goodness.
Top with Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Add parmesan rind to the simmering broth for a richer flavor.
If you are planning on leftovers, consider cooking the pasta separately and just adding to the portions you are serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup
- Calories: 346
- Sugar: 5.2 g
- Sodium: 901 mg
- Fat: 12.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.3 g
- Fiber: 7.5 g
- Protein: 22.3 g
- Cholesterol: 39.1 mg
Delicious, used gluten free shells. Thank you
Great to hear Ann!