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Italian

Pasta e fagioli

Vegetarian

A thick, comforting Italian soup of beans and small pasta in a tomato-tinged broth with rosemary — peasant food found in countless regional versions.

Pasta e fagioli is an Italian soup from Italy, ready in about 45 minutes and made with white beans (canned) and dried pasta. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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A serving of Pasta e fagioli
Photo: Spinoziano / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
35 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
406

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Gently fry the onion (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab) and celery (opens in a new tab) in the oil until soft. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), rosemary (opens in a new tab) and tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and cook for a minute more.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the beans and stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the rosemary (opens in a new tab) and blend or mash about a third of the beans to thicken the soup.

    • 12 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the pasta (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) and simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the soup is thick. Add a splash of water if needed.

    • 12 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Rest for a few minutes, then serve with a thread of olive oil (opens in a new tab) and grated parmesan (opens in a new tab).

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Italy · Well documentedMade all over Italy in many regional variants.Also popular in United StatesMore food from Italy
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Simmered
    Taste
    savoury, earthy, herby, mild
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious
    Without the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Budget-friendly · Everyday · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    White beans (canned) · Dried pasta · Onion · Carrot · Celery · Garlic
    Techniques
    Simmering

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom parmesan
    • May contain: Eggsfrom dried pasta
    • Contains: Wheatfrom dried pasta
    • Contains: Glutenfrom vegetable stock, dried pasta
    • Contains: Celeryfrom celery, vegetable stock

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    406 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 527 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 15%
    • Carbohydrate 60%
    • Fat 25%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy406 kcal77 kcal
    Protein15.2 g2.9 g
    Carbohydrate62.1 g11.8 g
    Net carbohydrate53.8 g10.2 g
    Sugars5.5 g1 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre8.3 g1.6 g
    Fat11.3 g2.2 g
    Saturated fat1.7 g0.3 g
    Trans fat0 g0 g
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium1466 mg278 mg
    Salt equivalent3.7 g0.7 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    853 mg
    Calcium
    126 mg
    Iron
    5.4 mg
    Magnesium
    92 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    167 µg
    Vitamin C
    6 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    237 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: parmesan.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • A parmesan rind simmered in the broth adds lovely depth.

    Common mistakes

    • Not stirring after the pasta goes in — it sticks to the bottom.

    Storage

    • Keeps 3 days in the fridge; it thickens as it sits.

    Reheating

    • Loosen with water or stock and reheat gently.

    Variations

    • With pancetta: Fry diced pancetta with the vegetables for a meatier soup.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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