An Italian classic that you can order at any old-school Italian joint. Pasta Fagioli with spinach or "pasta fazool!"
Looking for more classic Italian soups? Try our Classic Italian Minestrone 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.
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.
Step-By-Step Directions
Pasta Fagioli is an easy soup to make. It just requires a little patience. Take your time going through the steps and don't rush anything. You'll end up with a hearty soup that you'll love.
Step 1: In a big dutch oven or sauce pot, add the olive oil and bring it to medium-high heat. Stir in the carrots, celery, and onions and saute for about 10 minutes until they are softened. Add some salt and pepper at some point during this process. The vegetables provide flavor to your soup and should be seasoned too.
Step 2: Stir in the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. 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.
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.
Step 3: Pasta Fagioli has a tomato base. 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. Pour them into the vegetables and bring them to a boil. Stir in half of the basil and salt and stir well.
Step 4: Pour in all of the stock, and add the oregano, bay leaves, and parmesan rind. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil. Then return the soup to a simmer. Add in the northern beans and again return to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Add the ditalini and simmer for another 15 minutes until the pasta has softened. Then stir in the spinach. Take off the heat, cover the pot, and let the spinach wilt for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Stir in the rest of the basil
Serve the pasta fagioli with spinach with freshly grated parmesan.
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.
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!
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!
More Hearty Soups
📖 Recipe
Pasta Fagioli with Spinach
Equipment
- 1 Large Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 handful basil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1½ cups ditalini
- 2½ quarts vegetable broth
- 1 can white northern beans
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 bag spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Instructions
- In a large sauce pot or dutch oven, add olive oil and bring to medium heat. Stir in carrots, celery, and onion. Add salt and pepper to the mixture for taste. Saute until soft and onions are translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Then add in garlic and saute until fragrant. Make a small well in the vegetables and add tomato paste. Carmelize for 2 minutes.
- Hand crush the whole plum tomatoes, and then add them in to the vegetables. Stir in half of the basil. Bring the tomatoes to a boil and then pour in the vegetable stock. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and then lower it to a simmer. Add oregano, bay leaves, parmesan rind, and beans. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes stir in the ditalini and simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add spinach and cover until wilted and then stir well. Stir in the rest of the basil and serve with fresh parmesan.
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!