Description
This classic Pasta Fagioli recipe is a hearty Italian soup featuring tender cannellini beans, savory tomato sauce, fresh vegetables, and ditalini pasta simmered to perfection. Made on the stovetop for best results, it’s a comforting and satisfying meal perfect for any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup quartered carrots
Beans and Pasta
- 2 15 oz cans cooked cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup dry ditalini pasta
Liquids and Sauces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
Seasonings
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the oil. In a large pot, warm 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add diced onions, minced garlic, and quartered carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and the carrots have softened.
- Add beans, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Stir in rinsed cannellini beans, tomato sauce, dried basil, parsley, oregano, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and the bay leaf to combine well.
- Pour in liquids and bring to boil. Add low sodium vegetable broth and water to the pot, stir everything together, then cover and increase the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil. This should take about 10 minutes with occasional stirring to prevent sticking.
- Reduce heat and add pasta. Remove the lid, lower the heat to medium, and add the dry ditalini pasta. Stir to incorporate and cook the pasta for half the time recommended on the pasta package, ensuring the pasta remains undercooked.
- Finish and serve. Discard the bay leaf, ladle the soup into bowls, and enjoy your hearty Pasta Fagioli.
Notes
- Prep vegetables ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours to save cooking time.
- Use low sodium canned beans and rinse them well to reduce salt content.
- Adding a parmesan cheese rind during cooking enhances depth of flavor.
- This recipe works best cooked on the stovetop to prevent the pasta from becoming overcooked.
- If using Instant Pot or crockpot, it’s recommended to cook pasta separately and add it to avoid mushy texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
