Italian · Soups & stews

Italian pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli)

Name: Italian pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving; 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced; 1 medium carrot, finely diced; 1 celery rib, finely diced; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided; 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes; 3 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained, one can mashed; 5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth; 1 rosemary sprig; 1 Parmesan rind, optional; 6 ounces ditalini or other small pasta; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley; Grated Parmesan and black pepper, for serving

Creamy cannellini beans and small pasta in a rosemary-garlic tomato broth finished with olive oil and Parmesan.

About 50 minTotal

About 50 minActive

$Cost

EasyDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Best value covered pot
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched capacity, lid fit, oven rating, heat retention, maneuverability, care, stable model identity, and usefulness outside bread baking. Kwilt has not baked with this pot.
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43: The six-quart capacity, heavy cast-iron body, and fitted lid create the enclosed high-heat environment used by these bread methods while remaining useful beyond baking. Trade-off: At more than thirteen pounds it is demanding to move when hot, and the enamel needs gentler utensils and hand washing.
Another workable path: Bake on a preheated heavy sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl, keeping face and hands clear when removing the hot cover.
Sources
Lodge six-quart Essential Enamel specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained, one can mashed
5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 rosemary sprig
1 Parmesan rind, optional
6 ounces ditalini or other small pasta
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated Parmesan and black pepper, for serving

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a over medium. Add onion, carrot, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook 8 minutes until very soft. Add garlic and pepper flakes for 30 seconds, then tomato paste for 1 minute.
Add crushed tomatoes, whole and mashed beans, broth, rosemary, optional Parmesan rind, and remaining salt. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mashed beans make the broth lightly creamy.
Add pasta and cook at a gentle simmer according to the package, usually 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often near the end so the starch-rich soup does not catch.
Remove rosemary and rind. Stir in vinegar and parsley and adjust salt and black pepper. The soup should be thick but loose; add broth or hot water before serving if it has tightened.
Ladle into bowls and finish with olive oil, Parmesan, and pepper. For leftovers, expect the pasta to absorb broth and loosen each reheated portion with water or stock.

ItalyItalian regional household cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Pasta e fagioli is an Italian family of pasta-and-bean soups whose regional forms vary; mashed beans and pasta starch give this tomato-tinged version its characteristic creamy body without dairy.

Pasta e fagioli simply means pasta and beans. It is Italian cucina povera—resourceful regional cooking with versions that may be brothy or nearly spoon-standing, white or tomato-tinted, vegetarian or enriched with pork. This pantry version leads with the familiar English description while keeping its proper name, and uses mashed beans rather than cream for its characteristic body. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Lead with the familiar English name, preserve the Italian regional flexibility in the story, and use the repeated bean-mashing and small-pasta pattern for an inexpensive one-pot cuisine anchor.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe