Pasta e fagioli — pasta and beans — is the Italian peasant soup that proves the best food in the world was invented by people who had almost nothing.
Pasta e fagioli is a cooking that reminds you the best food often comes from the simplest ingredients. This is Italian peasant cooking at its core: beans, pasta, tomatoes, a bit of cured pork, and whatever aromatics are on hand. It has been feeding families in Italy for centuries. It is still one of the most satisfying one-pot meals you can put on the table. It costs almost nothing, it feeds a crowd, and it tastes like it simmered for hours even when it wraps up in under forty-five minutes.
Two details make this version work. First, the Parmesan rind. Drop it into the pot while the soup simmers and it slowly dissolves, adding a deep, savory richness that you cannot replicate with grated cheese alone. Save your rinds in a freezer bag for exactly this purpose.
Second, cook the ditalini directly in the soup rather than boiling it separately. The starch released by the pasta thickens the broth and creates that signature hearty, almost porridge-like consistency that sets a proper pasta e fagioli apart from a brothy minestrone. Mashing a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot adds even more body. Finish each bowl with a generous drizzle of good olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan. This reheats well, though you may need to add a bit of broth since the pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits.
How to Make Pasta e Fagioli
Step 1
Cook the pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until the fat renders and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 6 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Step 3
Add the tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Add the beans, broth, Parmesan rind, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Step 4
Cook 15 minutes to build flavor. Mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the soup naturally.
Step 5
Add the ditalini and cook 8 to 10 minutes until the pasta is tender. The soup will thicken as the pasta cooks.
Step 6
Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and top with grated Parmesan.
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Pasta e Fagioli
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Pasta e fagioli — pasta and beans — is the Italian peasant soup that proves the best food in the world was invented by people who had almost nothing. Cannellini beans, ditalini pasta, tomato, pancetta, and a Parmesan rind that melts into the broth and makes everything richer. Delicious.
Ingredients
Units
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Instructions
- Cook the pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until the fat renders and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 6 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Add the beans, broth, Parmesan rind, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook 15 minutes to build flavor. Mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the soup naturally.
- Add the ditalini and cook 8 to 10 minutes until the pasta is tender. The soup will thicken as the pasta cooks.
- Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and top with grated Parmesan.
Notes
- The Parmesan rind is the secret weapon — it melts slowly into the broth and adds an umami richness that you cannot get any other way.
- Mashing some of the beans against the pot wall thickens the broth without adding cream or flour.
- Cook the pasta in the soup, not separately. The starch from the pasta helps create the signature thick, hearty texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 820
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 22
- Cholesterol: 25