Italian Pasta Fagioli Recipe (Easy One Pot Meal)
You are going to love my thick and creamy Italian Pasta Fagioli Recipe. Think tender pasta, creamy beans, and a flavorful tomato broth that tastes like your favorite Italian restaurant… made in one large pot on a weeknight. It’s the ultimate comfort food with pantry staples and a little olive oil doing the heavy lifting. This version is a little thicker and creamier than what you might be used to. It’s comfort in a bowl!
If you love hearty soup recipes like this pasta e fagioli soup, try my Tuscan Chicken Soup with white beans for a brothy, rustic bowl that still eats like dinner. Or make my Sausage and White Bean Soup when you want layers of flavor from browned Italian sausage and a quick simmer. I love soup year-round, but especially when the weather gets a bit colder. I also have a wonderful homemade chicken stock recipe that uses a rotisserie chicken! It’s the backbone of all my great soup recipes.
Recipe Highlights: Italian Pasta Fagioli
- Inspiration: A classic Italian soup from northern Italy, a true peasant dish that turns simple pantry staples into something special.
- Best Served For: Family dinner, snow-day lunch, or an easy starter before a cozy pasta dish.
- What Makes It Special: Tomato paste is bloomed for depth, a Parmesan rind simmers for savory richness, and the pasta finishes in the pot for that starchy, silky finish.
- Make Ahead: Make the base ahead, then cook the pasta right before serving for a next-day bowl that tastes freshly made.
Ingredients Notes
- Cannellini beans: For the creamiest beans, rinse them well, then let them simmer for a few minutes before adding pasta, allowing them to season in the flavorful tomato broth. If using dried beans, cook until tender in salted water first.
- Tomato paste: Cook it with the garlic over medium heat until it reaches a brick red color. That quick browning yields a smoother texture and a deep, tomato-forward flavor without requiring extra tomato sauce. I love double-concentrated tomato paste, but any type will do!
- Parmesan rind: Adds savory backbone. Drop it in early and fish it out before adding pasta. Parmigiano Reggiano rinds bring a fuller flavor than pre-grated Parmesan cheese. You can often buy this on its own pretty inexpensively at the store, or cut one off of the cheese you have at home!
- Type of pasta: Orecchiette is great, but ditalini pasta, small shells, or other small pasta shapes give a classic pasta fagioli soup vibe and stay tender, too!
- Stock choice: Chicken broth gives roundness; vegetable broth keeps it classic and light. Store-bought broth works, but taste and adjust the amount of liquid and salt at the end.
- Soffrito: A classic combination of onion, carrots, and celery. Brown the veggies ever so slightly for deeper flavor.
- White Wine: I love using a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc to deglaze and scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pot. However, you can use a little splash of water or more stock if you don’t want to use alcohol for this recipe, or just don’t have it!
Suggested Ingredient Substitutions and Additions
- Pasta swap: Use ditalini, small shells, or tubetti for a traditional pasta e fagioli recipe. Cook to al dente right in the pot.
- Bean swap: Try borlotti beans, cranberry beans, or pinto beans. Mix kinds of beans for a great way to add variety.
- Greens: Stir in chopped swiss chard or spinach during the last 2 minutes for color and a softer bite.
- Herby finish: Add fresh rosemary sprigs or a bay leaf to the simmer, then finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a shower of parmesan cheese.
How to Make My Creamy Italian Pasta Fagioli Recipe
- First, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a light sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic, a pinch of black pepper, and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste darkens and smells sweet, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the white wine. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until the wine is mostly reduced, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the Italian seasoning and passata. Stir in the chicken stock, Parmesan rind, and the beans. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Season lightly with some of the salt.Taste check: it should be flavorful but just shy of perfectly salted. The pasta will dilute it slightly.
4. Remove the Parmesan rind. Add the orecchiette. Simmer at a lively bubble, stirring often so the pasta cooks evenly and does not stick, until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes. If the pot gets too thick, add a splash of hot stock to loosen.
Turn off the heat. Taste and adjust with the remaining salt and black pepper until bright and savory. Let the pot rest a few minutes to thicken to a creamy, scoopable texture.
Ladle into bowls and top with grated parmigiano reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil! Serve with bread if you like.
Expert Tips From My Kitchen
- Brown the base: Let the onion, carrots, and celery take on light color. Those extra 2 minutes on medium heat build restaurant-style depth from the bottom of the pot. You’ll use wine to deglaze and scrape up the little bits at the bottom.
- Season in stages: Salt early, then taste again after the stock simmers, and again once the pasta is al dente. Black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes at the end wake everything up.
- Mind the pasta: Keep the pot at a lively simmer and stir every 1 to 2 minutes so the dry pasta releases starch evenly and doesn’t stick.
- Adjust the texture: If you want a thicker bowl, mash a portion of the beans against the side of the dutch oven. For a looser soup, add a splash of hot chicken stock to reach your desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
- Wine pairing: Pour a Chianti Classico or Montepulciano and call it a night.
- At the table: Extra parmigiano reggiano, black pepper, and crusty bread.
- Make it a menu: Simple arugula salad, then this hearty italian soup, then a small pasta dish to share. Buon appetito.
Reheating and Storage Instructions
- Fridge: First, cool the italian pasta fagioli soup, then transfer to safe containers and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb a portion of the soup; loosen with chicken stock when reheating.
- Reheat: Medium-low heat on the stove, splash in stock to restore the desired consistency.
- Freeze: Freeze the base without pasta in airtight containers up to 3 months. Add dry pasta when you reheat for the best tender pasta texture.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it! Tag @alliehagerty on Instagram and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
Pasta e Fagioli (One Pot, Creamy) Italian Pasta Fagioli Recipe
Equipment
- Large heavy pot
- wooden spoon
- Measuring cups & spoons
- ladle
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 2 small carrots finely diced
- 2 small celery ribs finely diced
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
- 12 ounces passata
- 7 cups low-sodium chicken stock plus up to 1 cup more hot stock as needed
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 pound orecchiette pasta
- 2 to 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper divided
- Parmigiano Reggiano grated for serving)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a light sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, a pinch of black pepper, and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste darkens and smells sweet, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until the wine is mostly reduced, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the Italian seasoning and passata. Stir in the chicken stock, Parmesan rind, and the beans. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Season lightly with some of the salt.
- Taste check: it should be flavorful but just shy of perfectly salted. The pasta will dilute it slightly.
- Remove the Parmesan rind. Add the orecchiette. Simmer at a lively bubble, stirring often so the pasta cooks evenly and does not stick, until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes. If the pot gets too thick, add a splash of hot stock to loosen.
- Turn off the heat. Taste and adjust with the remaining salt and black pepper until bright and savory. Let the pot rest a few minutes to thicken to a creamy, scoopable texture.
- Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with bread if you like.
Notes
- Bloom the tomato paste with the garlic on medium heat until it turns brick red and smells sweet. That 2-minute step builds the flavorful tomato broth you want.
- Season in stages and taste at three points: after the base simmers, when the pasta is al dente, and right before serving. Add black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes at the end to wake it up.
- Nail the texture: keep a little hot chicken stock on standby to loosen if it gets too thick, or mash a scoop of beans in the pot for extra creaminess. Let it rest 3 to 5 minutes off heat so the pasta settles into a silky, scoopable finish.