A classic Italian soup that you can order at any old-school Italian joint. Classic Pasta Fagioli or "pasta fazool" is a hearty tomato-based soup with pancetta and ditalini pasta that makes an easy family dinner that everyone will love!
Looking for more classic Italian soups? Try our Italian Wedding Soup or Zuppa Toscana.
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Pronouncing Pasta Fagioli
I'm at the point now where I don't even know what to call pasta fagioli anymore. Do I pronounce it correctly, like it was meant to be in Italian "faa-jow-lee", or do I say it like my family says it, Pasta Fazool? I go back and forth between the two right now. Either way, pasta fagioli with spinach is a healthy and delicious soup that I love to have on hand.
Pasta e fagioli just means pasta and beans. In our case, ditalini and cannellini beans. This combined with fried pancetta and slowly sauteed sofrito makes for a very flavorful soup with plenty of depth.
It's a delicious classic maybe not as old as Classic Italian Minestrone or Spaghetti Carbonara, but definitely still an oldie. This is one of my favorite soups to make at home. It's so easy and flavorful, plus my son loves it.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Ditalini. Some people prefer to cook pasta in the soup for the flavor and some prefer to cook it separately so it doesn't soak up the soup. I'll leave that up to you to decide!
- Beans. I prefer cannellini beans because the white bean northern beans tend to be a little softer and get mushy in the soup and break apart. Some people also throw in kidney beans.
- Parmesan rind. This will add some extra salty and nutty flavor to the soup. Just remove it before you serve.
- Spinach. A leafy green is a great way to add some extra nutritious goodness to the meal. You can use spinach tuscan kale or escarole. Leafy greens in soup are my favorite and you can also try our Escarole and Beans Soup!
- Pancetta. In my opinion, pancetta makes the dish. It gives it a bit of extra smokiness in flavor. Definitely recommend.
- Crushed Tomatoes. I use whole tomatoes and hand crush them or a can of crushed tomatoes.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on ingredients.
How to Make Pasta Fagioli
Step 1: In a large dutch oven or pot, add chopped pancetta and raise the heat to medium. Saute until the fat renders and the pancetta becomes crispy. It will take about 8 minutes.
Step 2: Stir in the carrots, celery, and onions and saute for about 10 minutes until they are softened. Add half of the salt, pepper, and oregano during this process.
Step 3: Make a well in the vegetables where you can place the tomato paste. Let it caramelize in the pot for 3 minutes before stirring it into the vegetables. Then stir it throughout the vegetables and let the vegetables cook for a few more minutes.
Step 4: Pour crushed tomatoes into the vegetables and add the basil, the rest of the seasonings, and the bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer.
Step 5: Pour in the chicken stock, and add the parmesan rind. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil. Then return the soup to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Add the cannellini beans and ditalini and simmer for another 15 minutes until the pasta has softened. Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 7: Add the spinach and cover for 3 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in the spinach.
Step 8: Remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind and serve.
Serve pasta fagioli with freshly grated parmesan. It is perfect to serve for lunch on its own or alongside a salad like an Easy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Salad, Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mango Lime Dressing, or a Caesar salad with Traditional Caesar Dressing. Or if you want the soup and a sandwich vibe, the Chopped Italian Sandwich is the way to go!
Pro-Tips
- To release the most flavor from the tomato paste, let it caramelize on the bottom of the dutch oven for a few moments before adding the tomatoes and broth.
- I prefer to cook my pasta in the soup because the pasta will absorb the flavor, but you can cook it separately if you think you'll have leftovers. This way the pasta won't absorb all the broth while in the fridge.
- Hand-crush the can of tomatoes. I like a bit of chunkiness to the tomatoes in the soup. If you prefer it to be smooth, use an immersion blender to blend them before pouring them into the vegetables.
Recipe FAQs
Fagioli always includes beans and tends to be chunkier and heartier than minestrone which is typically just vegetables.
Fagioli, pronounced faa-jow-lee, means beans in Italian. So pasta e fagioli means pasta and beans!
Yes, absolutely! I make this recipe with freezing in mind. We keep half in the fridge and half in the freezer. Wait until the soup cools and then transfer it to a Ziploc bag. I like to place it on an ice pack for 15 minutes or so before transferring it to the freezer.
What should I serve with pasta fagioli?
This dish can stand on its own or be served with lunch or dinner. It goes great with a salad or chicken cutlets. I like to have pasta fagioli as a snack before lunch. Just a small bowl to warm me up before the meal. It's also great served with classics like chicken francese or chicken marsala!
This is one of the classic Olive Garden all-you-can-eat soups. This is nothing like the one they serve obviously but it is similar sort of like our Zuppa Toscana or our Better Than Olive Garden Eggplant Parmigiana.
More Hearty Soups
If you love this recipe, please leave a review below! It's so helpful for us! Follow us @vindelgiudice on Instagram for more cooking content!
📖 Recipe
Classic Pasta Fagioli
Equipment
- 1 Large Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 oz pancetta, chopped
- 1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 handful basil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- ¾ cups ditalini
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 bag spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or pot, add chopped pancetta and raise the heat to medium. Saute until the fat renders and the pancetta becomes crispy. It will take about 8 minutes. Stir in the olive oil, carrots, celery, and onions and saute for about 10 minutes until they are softened. Add half of the salt, pepper, and oregano during this process.
- Make a well in the vegetables where you can place the tomato paste. Let it caramelize in the pot for 3 minutes before stirring it into the vegetables. Then stir it throughout the vegetables and let the vegetables cook for a few more minutes.
- Pour crushed tomatoes into the vegetables and add the basil, the rest of the seasonings, and the bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer.
- Pour in the chicken stock, and add the parmesan rind. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil. Then return the soup to a simmer for 15 minutes
- Add the cannellini beans and ditalini and simmer for another 15 minutes until the pasta has softened. Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the spinach and cover for 3 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in the spinach. Remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind and serve.
Notes
- To release the most flavor from the tomato paste, let it caramelize on the bottom of the dutch oven for a few moments before adding the tomatoes and broth.
- I prefer to cook my pasta in the soup because the pasta will absorb the flavor, but you can cook it separately if you think you'll have leftovers. This way the pasta won't absorb all the broth while in the fridge.
Karen B
The first time I've ever made pasta fazoli and it is absolutely amazing and I think it's better than Olive gardens
Vinny and Marisa
Better than the OG!