Pasta e Fagioli Soup Recipe

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Pasta e Fagioli is a deliciously hearty, stew-like soup loaded with pasta, beans and Italian sausage. Every bite is rich with flavor and plenty of vegetables.

This soup is so hearty you won’t need a salad or other tagalong side dishes to complete the meal. It’s filling, comforting and just so darn good. The Italian sausage adds so much flavor and the heart healthy beans give it a nice textural contrast. You can use any kind of small pasta for this soup, but we prefer for the more traditional ditalini for it’s tiny tubular shape.

The process for making Pasta e Fagioli soup is an easy one, with most of the prep time used to chop vegetables.

The Italian sausage is removed from its casings and broken into pieces while cooked until lightly browned. Add in all the vegetables and cook until softened. Next you stir in the garlic and seasonings and then add the tomatoes, Parmesan rind, beans and a little broth. Once everything is cooked the pasta is added and cooked until just tender. Aside from prepping the vegetables, this easy soup takes about 30 minutes to get on the table.

If you want to freeze the soup, or store for more than one or two days, you may want to omit the pasta until warming to serve.

As with any pasta filled soup, the ditalini tends to get mushy if stored for a long time. Storing leftovers for a day or two is not a big deal. However, for longer storage we recommend that you cook the pasta separately and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add the pre-cooked pasta to the pot while warming the soup and viola! Perfectly cooked al dente pasta in your soup 🙂

Don’t forget to garnish with plenty of fresh chopped parsley and lots of Parmesan cheese.

This soup is also pretty great with an extra drizzle of olive oil just before serving. If you prefer a brothier soup, add an extra cup of chicken broth to the pot or reduce the amount of pasta and Italian sausage added. I don’t think you can mess this up so feel free to make it your own. I use a sweet variety of Italian sausage but hot Italian will be great too. There’s good reason this soup is so popular and beloved. It’s delicious, easy and satisfying!

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Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

A delicious pasta, bean and sausage soup with plenty of flavor with an Italian flare!

Servings: 6 people

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
• Parmesan rind
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 cup water
• 4-6 ounces ditalini, or other small pasta shape
• 2 cups sliced baby spinach leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
• 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking the sausage into chunks. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and juice; stir to combine. Add the Parmesan rind, beans and 1 cup of the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the remaining chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Discard the cheese rind. Turn off the heat, add the spinach to the pot and stir until wilted. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with parsley, grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

Recipe Notes

For a brothier soup, add more chicken broth or use less sausage and pasta.

If you’re looking for a few more delicious vegetable loaded soups to try this season, don’t miss our comforting, filling and delicious Hearty Beef and Gnocchi Soup. Our chunky soup is worthy of an entire meal, especially when served with a hunk of crusty bread to sop up all the delicious broth! Click HERE to get the recipe for Hearty Beef and Gnocchi Soup. For another Italian favorite, be sure to try our classic Minestrone Soup. Our Minestrone Soup is full of healthy legumes, green leafy vegetables,  plenty of Italian herbs, a handful of pasta, and wonderfully rich tomatoey broth. Click HERE to get the recipe for Minestrone Soup.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Tricia