Pasta e Fagioli Soup

5 from 4 votes

Pasta e Fagioli is a hearty Italian soup with tiny pasta, creamy beans, and tender vegetables. Easy to make for lunch or dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 256kcal

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
4 ounces pancetta diced (or bacon)
1 cup yellow onion, small dice
1 cup carrot, small dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces diced tomatoes, (1 can)
14 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
32 ounces chicken broth or stock
8 ounces water
2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely minced (or 1 tsp dried)
1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 TBSP fresh, finely chopped)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 TBSP fresh, finely chopped)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup pasta, dry, small tube such as Ditalini, tubetti, Conchigliette, or small elbow
30 ounces cannellini beans or small white beans, (2 cans) drained and lightly rinsed
½ cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly shredded, divided
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped for garnish

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add diced pancetta and saute, stirring occasionally until browned and cooked through (about 4 minutes).
Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and let it drain on paper-towel lined bowl or plate.
Drain off excess fat, if needed, so that only about 2 Tablespoons remain.
Add carrots and onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to ensure it doesn't burn.
Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, rosemary, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar.
Bring to a boil and add the dried pasta. Stir well and reduce heat to a medium simmer.
Cook for about 12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
Add the drained beans, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat to allow all of the flavors to meld. Check seasonings and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in 1/4 cup of the shredded parmesan.
Serve in shallow bowls, sprinkled with chopped parsley and the remaining parmesan.

Calorie count includes the parmesan garnish
Need more protein? Add 8 ounces of cooked shredded chicken, turkey, ground beef, or Italian sausage
Substitute mixed dried Italian herbs for any of the herbs in the recipe
Thick-cut bacon can be used in place of the pancetta

Vegetarian: omit pancetta and use vegetable broth

Vegan: omit pancetta, use vegetable broth, use vegan parmesan