I should probably refer to this pasta e fagioli soup as “blizzard soup.” The forecast called for up to 20 inches of snow (though we only got seven). I was determined to keep the stove going and get a batch of hot soup. Besides, there is more snow coming tomorrow!
Therefore, I deliberately made this the “hard” way. First, I soaked the beans overnight. Then I cooked the beans and sort of followed a recipe from The New York Times. I cut it in half and added pancetta (don’t know why they left that out).
I even made my own vegetable stock. If you spot potatoes in the photo, it’s because they were in the homemade vegetable stock recipe . Potatoes aren’t traditional for pasta e fagioli soup, but I left them in anyway. Why toss perfectly good veggies? I didn’t include them in the recipe here though.
You can use vegetable stock, or chicken stock if you prefer. I would have made chicken stock but I didn’t have enough chicken bones. And I certainly wasn’t going out to get some in a blizzard!
Don’t be put off by the wait time on this recipe. That includes soaking the beans overnight. You can speed this up by using my quick soak method. That cuts the soaking time down from 8 hours to only one.
If you’re really in a hurry, and don’t have the time or patience to soak and cook the beans for an hour or more, use a can of white cannellini beans instead. Make the rest of the soup, then add the can of beans. Just cook them long enough to heat through.
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
A small batch of pasta and bean (pasta e fagioli) soup. Just the thing to keep your home (and stomach) warm on a cold day.
Notes
Note that the prep time assumes you use dried beans, soaked overnight. You can also use the quick soak method (linked in post).
This also works with canned beans. If you use canned beans, drain the can first. Place the beans, water, and the remaining ingredients from the bean recipe in your pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Then move on to the rest of the soup.
You can tie the bouquet garni ingredients together (if you use fresh herbs). If not, put them in a tea ball. It makes it easier to remove them.
Ingredients
- Beans
- 1 C dried white beans
- 1 quart water
- 1/2 a medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- Soup
- 1 T olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 ounce pancetta (chopped), or you can buy it pre-chopped
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (or about 1/3 tsp dried)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup pureed canned tomatoes
- pinch sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- Bouquet garni (bay leaf, 1 Manchego or Parmesan rind, thyme sprig, or 1/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 cup elbow macaroni
Instructions
- Beans
- Pour the soaked beans, along with the water, into a large pot (a Dutch oven will do nicely).
- Add the onion and turn the heat to medium. Bring it to a soft boil (bubbling slowly,).
- You may see foam rising to the top. You can remove that with a spoon (it's not harmful, it's just not attractive).
- Add the garlic and the bay leaf (you can put the bay leaf in a tea ball so it's easier to remove).
- Simmer the beans for 30 minutes.
- Add salt to taste and let the beans cook another hour. Check to see that they're soft. If not, cook another half an hour.
- Taste the beans and add more salt if needed. Take out the bay leaf. Drain the beans with a colander over a bowl. Keep the broth, you'll use it for the soup.
- Soup
- Heat oil in dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for five minutes or until the onion softens.
- Add the rosemary, garlic, and pancetta.
- Cook for a minute. The scent should start to waft through your kitchen.
- Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper
- Cook for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the bean broth you set aside, and the stock.
- Add the bouquet garni, cheese rind, and more salt.
- Turn the heat to medium-high until the soup boils. Then reduce the heat and let it simmer for half an hour. Add the beans and heat through, about 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes, until it's al dente.
- Taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Remove the cheese rind and serve.
Substitutions and Variations for Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Save time and use canned beans
- Try different kinds of beans: pinto, kidney, or cranberry
- Use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock
- Use bacon or pork fat instead of pancetta (I even used soppressata salami once)
- Add one potato (cut into chunks) to the soup
- Chop up a handful of spinach and add that with the pasta
More White Bean and Soup Recipes
This should probably be called “dump” soup. All you do is pour the ingredients into a pot and heat them up. It’s a classic Italian soup that’s super-easy to make.
White Bean Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes
I took an expensive pre-made grocery store salad and turned it into a budget-friendly side dish/salad by making it myself!
Ground pork simmered in a green sauce of hot peppers, potatoes, beans, and cumin. A meal in one bowl (heats the house too).
A hearty meal all by itself. Packed with lentils, beans, sausage, potatoes, and sweet carrots. Perfect for chilly weather.