Nothing beats a hearty bowl of Pasta e Fagioli, the famous comforting Italian soup packed with flavor, protein, and wholesome ingredients. My version brings together savory Italian sausage, tender white beans, fun pasta, and aromatic vegetables in a rich, tomato-boosted broth, seasoned with herbs. This easy-to-make soup is a weeknight favorite, perfect for chilly nights when you need something warm and satisfying that you can get to the table fast.
For Pasta Fazool, I Am a Fool
A little play on an old internet meme, lol. It’s so apt, though, because this soup combines some of my favorite chilly-weather soup ingredients into one pot: mild sausage, pasta, and fire-roasted tomatoes. When this soup is on my menu, you’re likely to find me scooping up spoonfuls with a sappy, dreamy look on my face.
So, what’s with all the name variations? Pasta e Fagioli is the Italian name for this soup: pasta and beans. It’s pronounced pastah ee fah-jee-ohl-ee (where the “ee” and “ohl” blend right into each other, and the “j” is more like the “dg” in fudge.)
Pasta Fazool, on the other hand, is an Italian-American variation, and the one I hear more often on this side of the ocean. It’s pronounced pastah fah-zool (“ool” like school).
But I’ve always known the soup as Pasta e Fagioli, even if I haven’t always said it correctly in my head.
Pasta e Fagioli is —
- An Easy Weeknight Meal: Quick to prepare, making it perfect for busy schedules.
- Full of Flavor: Aromatic herbs, sausage, and a rich tomato broth create an irresistible taste.
- Budget-Friendly: Uses simple, affordable ingredients, that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Versatile: Easily customizable with different types of pasta, beans, or vegetables.
- Protein-Packed: With Italian sausage and white beans, it’s a great source of protein.
- Great for Leftovers: Tastes even better the next day!
Main Ingredients and Substitutions
Sausage — I chose a mild Italian sausage for my Pasta e Fagioli. You can use a hot sausage instead, or go another direction with ground beef, ground turkey, or even cubed pancetta.
Pasta — Ditalini (a.k.a., tubetti) pasta is commonly found in the Olive Garden version, and is a great size and weight to complement the beans. Taste-wise, you can use any pasta you want, but using a short type, such as small shells or elbows, keeps the balance of beans and pasta nice and even on the spoon.
Beans — My personal preference here is cannellini beans (or white kidney beans), but great northern beans would work well, too. Actually, just about any small- or medium-sized bean is a thumbs-up, such as kidney or black
Aromatics — This soup starts off with the classic mirepoix of onions, celery, and carrots to create a foundation of flavor for the soup. Then garlic and sweet-and-savory Italian herbs step to liven things up.
Tomatoes — Tomato products add loads of flavor. First, there’s the tomato paste, which is pure concentrated umami goodness. Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes add volume, texture, and an acidic brightness, plus complex, slightly smoky, flavors. You can substitute just about any type of tomato product for the crushed — diced, or even sauce — but be sure to use the tomato paste as suggested.
How to Make Pasta e Fagioli
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the soup.
Prep notes
Here are some helpful guidelines for prepping the recipe ingredients. Anything that simply needs to be measured out of a container – such as dried herbs and liquids – are not addressed here. Note that you can absolutely measure everything out into separate bowls or containers ahead of time. It’s a classic organizational technique called mise en place – “everything in its place” – that helps the cooking workflow run smoothly.
- Peel the outer papery layer from the onion, and cut into small dice, discarding the root and stem ends.
- Clean the celery ribs, and chop into small dice.
- Scrub the carrot clean, peel the outer layer, and chop into small dice, discarding the stem end.
- Break off individual garlic cloves from the bulb. Peel the tough outer layer of each clove (one way to do this is to lay the clove flat, rest the blade of a wide knife on top of the clove on its side (so, flat side of the blade up), and carefully whack the flat blade with the palm of your hand. This will crack the outer layers of the clove.) Mince finely.
- Clean and chop the leaves of the Italian parsley. Thin stems are okay to include.
- Grate a wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano on the small holes of a grater. Save the thick, yellow rind; cut off a one-inch-square piece.
Cook the sausage
Brown the sausage in a large pot, breaking up large chunks.
Add the aromatics
Add the onions, celery, and carrots and saute until softened, and are just starting to take on a little golden color. Tip: Use a flat-edged spatula to scrap up any fond created by the sausage.
Stir in the tomatoes and seasonings
Spoon in the tomato ingredients, garlic, and dried herbs. Stir to mix well. The garlic should become noticeably fragrant.
Cook the pasta in the soup
Add the broth, water, pasta, and the chunk of parm rind. Bring the soup to a lively bubbling, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Make sure the pasta is at least al dente before moving on.
Add the beans and finish
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the beans, letting them warm through for about 5 minutes. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with the fresh parsley and grated cheese.
Storing
Pasta e Fagioli will store well in the fridge for several days. Do note that the pasta will absorb some of the soup’s liquid during refrigeration. When reheating, you might need to add a little water or broth to the soup to return it to your preferred consistency. Despite this, the soup is absolutely delish after a day or two in the fridge. It’s worth the thirsty pasta!
I hope you’ll get a chance to try my version of Paste e Fagioli. I love it because it’s comfort food, but it’s also a lovely seasonal transition soup between winter/spring and fall/winter: Filling but not heavy, with all the yummy goodness of beans and sausage.
Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Bean Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces mild Italian ground sausage
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 2 ribs celery , diced
- 2 medium carrots , diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 15 ounces fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup ditalini (or other small pasta)
- 1 inch piece parmigiano reggiano rind (optional)
- 30 ounces cannellini beans (two 15-ounce cans)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup shredded or grated parmigiano reggiano , for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a 4 to 5 quart soup pot or Dutch oven over medium until the surface of the oil shimmers. Add the ground sausage. Break up any large chunks as it browns, stirring to cook all sides of the pieces.
- When the sausage is mostly browned, stir in the onions, celery, and carrots. Saute for 5 to 8 minutes, until the veggies are softened and just starting to take on a golden color.
- Add the garlic, dried herbs, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes to the pot. Mix well with the vegetables, and let cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, 1 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon salt, and increase heat to bring the soup to an active boil.
- Add the cheese rind, if using, and pasta. Adjust the heat to maintain a bubbly simmer. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure that the pasta is not sticking to it.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the beans. Let the soup heat through for another 10 minutes. Fish out and discard the parm rind.
- Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed, re-tasting, and stirring well between additions.
- Stir in the parsley, and serve the soup with the shredded cheese on the side.