Pasta e fagioli recipe is the ultimate comfort food for cold winter nights!

Pasta e fagioli, pasta and beans soup, is a simple recipe and provides all the comfort you need when nights are colder. A very simple and cheap dish, pasta e fagioli is instead a very balanced and full meal in only one dish.

Beans are a very important ingredient in the Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Cheap and full of nutrients, beans lentils and pulses have always been the food of the poor. However they are now in the spotlight and  renowned chefs serves them in restaurants with a few tweaks to make them more palatable to high end customers.

Traditional recipes for beans and pasta soup in Italy

When it comes to food, as we all know especially in Italy, every region has its own versions and pasta e fagioli is no different. You will find many version of the same dish pretty much everywhere in Italy. Some make it as a soup, some make it more dry, some use cannellini beans and other borolotti or local varieties of beans.

In Naples pasta e fagioli is made with mixed pasta shapes. This is a great way to reduce food waste by using small quantities of pasta you have left the the cupboard. If you visit Florence or other parts of Tuscany you’ll find that they make pasta and fragioli with cannellini beans.

In Lazio and in Rome we usually use borlotti beans and fresh pasta like maltagliati or with “quadrucci all’uovo“, small squares made with home made egg pasta.

Health facts about pasta e fagioli

Pasta e fagioli is a real powerhouse for our body. Pasta and beans together make for the perfect amino acidic profile. This recipe is also rich in protein, fibers and vitamins. Beans provide also minerals and contains lecithin, that helps with the reduction of cholesterol.

Eating beans every day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, helps our microbiome, and they are absolutely very cheap!

Beans and bloat

If you are worried that beans may make you bloated, worry no more. If you follow my recommendation below, you won’t ever feel the bloat again when eating beans and lentils.

To make the most out of your dried beans:

•  soak them overnight (or at least for 6h)
• discard the soaking water, it contains anti nutrients responsible for the bloating
• cook them in a pressure cooker with turmeric or with a piece of kombu kelp (or both). Turmeric and kelp helps tenderize the beans, reduce the bloat and add some umami.
• discard the cooking water too if you are very sensible to bloat.

If you follow all the above tips, you won’t be experiencing bloat and will be able to enjoy beans and lentils! You can also check my article on Chickpeas to know more about how to cook them properly and feel good.

Pasta e fagioli non vegetarian/vegan options

VEGAN/VEGETARIAN
The traditional recipe is made with bone broth, however if you are vegetarian or vegan you can use vegetable stock or plain water. All other ingredients are naturally vegan so you won’t need any other swap.

NON-VEG VERSION
If you want to make your pasta e fagioli even more heartwarming, you can add sausage or pancetta. After adding the soffritto, add the pieces of meat and let it cook for a couple of minutes, then proceed with the recipe. Another great way to add more flavor is to add the remaining crust of the parmigiano reggiano or grana padano. That part is too hard to be eaten, but if you wash it carefully and then add it to the soup, it will soften and make the soup tastier.

 

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Italian Pasta e fagioli recipe

A simple recipe for a heartwarming soup. Perfect for the cold winter nights, this soup is very healthy and nutritious.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword italian pasta and beans, pasta and bean soup, pasta e fagioli

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 500 gr of boiled beans
• 400 gr of tomato passata
• 1,2 lt chicken or vegetable stock use vegetable stock to make it vegan/vegetarian
• 150 gr of pasta
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 small onion
• 1 small celery stalk
• 1 small carrot
• chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Chop the carrot, onion, celery and garlic very finely.
• Heat a pot and add the olive oil, and the mixed vegetables.
• Let it cook for a few minutes then add the tomato passata and the beans.
• Add salt, pepper and chili flakes, then pour the stock.
• Cook for about 10 minutes then add the pasta. You can use broken spaghetti, egg pasta or mixed pasta, whatever you have on hand.
• Cook for another 10 minutes until the pasta is ready.
• Sprinkle with pepper and some olive oil.
• You can also add some parmigiano on top.

Notes

If you want a creamier soup, before adding the pasta, take a couple of ladle of beans and soup and blend it, then add it back to the pot and add the pasta.

If you have picky eaters that do not like the whole beans, blend all the soup before adding the pasta. In this case you may want to add a bit more water to cook the pasta.