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The traditional Italian pasta fagioli recipe is a complete meal of creamy pasta fagioli soup enhanced with smoked pancetta and borlotti beans, known for its authentic flavor. Delicious pasta fazool recipe that is quick and easy to make! Your whole family will be delighted!
Pasta e Fagioli (or Pasta Fazool) is an excellent Cucina Povera dish. From the Campania Region, using inexpensive ingredients to create a dish rich in flavor.
This recipe is a quicker version of the classic! I used canned borlotti beans in order to speed up the process, but obviously it will be even better if made with dry beans, soaked overnight, and cooked for about two hours before following the recipe instructions.
What is the difference between Pasta e Fagioli and Pasta Fazool?
It is in fact the same dish, Pasta e Fagioli is the Italian name, while Pasta Fazool is used more in the US, where the word Fazool is taken by the Neapolitan and Sicilian dialects for Fagioli (Beans).
What pasta can I use for the traditional Italian Pasta Fagioli recipe?
My favorite is maccheroni; for many, it is Ditali. If you ask my mother, she will insist on broken-up spaghetti. The beauty of this recipe is that any pasta will do fresh pasta, or dry pasta; it really does not matter, just adjust the cooking time.
What can I serve with creamy Pasta Fagioli?
Pasta e Fagioli is a complete meal, rich in proteins and vitamins, so my suggestion is a warm, crunchy chunk of rustic bread.
Let’s make a Traditional Italian Pasta Fagioli Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 L Vegetable stock
- 250 g Cannellini beans
- 250 g Borlotti beans
- 200 g Pasta
- 150 g Carrots
- 150 g Celery
- 100 g Pancetta
- 75 g Onions
- 50 ml Olive oil
- 25 g Tomato paste
- 20 g Parmesan rinds (Optional)
- 5 g Rosemary
- 5 g Garlic
- 2 Bay leaves
- Salt and Pepper
Watch our YouTube video for step-by-step instructions
Method:
- Chop the rosemary, then put it in a small bowl and drizzle with 20 ml of extra virgin olive oil. This rosemary oil will be used to add extra flavor at the end.
- Pour the remaining oil into a hot large saucepan, then add the pancetta lardons (or small cubes) and cook down until crispy.
- Add the diced carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- After, add the parmesan rinds (optional), chopped garlic, and tomato paste, before pouring in half of the vegetable stock. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add Borlotti and Cannellini beans, then pasta, and the remaining vegetable stock. Cook for a further 10–12 minutes (depending on the pasta’s cooking times).
- Finish with the rosemary oil, adjust the seasoning, and serve!
HINT AND TIPS:
To add extra flavor to the traditional Italian pasta fagioli recipe, add grated parmesan on top.
If using fresh pasta, cook the beans for 10 minutes before adding the pasta, as it will cook in about 2 minutes.
This creamy pasta fagioli recipe can be made vegetarian, omitting the pancetta, and adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika.
Allergens: DAIRY, GLUTEN, CELERY
Pasta e Fagioli
Equipment
- Large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 L Vegetable stock
- 250 g Cannellini beans
- 250 g Borlotti beans
- 200 g Pasta
- 150 g Carrots
- 150 g Celery
- 100 g Pancetta
- 75 g Onions
- 50 ml Olive oil
- 25 g Tomato paste
- 20 g Parmesan rinds Optional
- 5 g Rosemary
- 5 g Garlic
- 2 Bay leaves
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Chop the rosemary, put in a small bowl and drizzle with 20 ml of extra virgin olive oil. (this rosemary oil will be used to add extra flavour at the end)
- Pour the remaining oil in a hot large saucepan, then add the pancetta lardons (or small cubes) and cook down until crispy.
- Add the small, diced carrots, celery, onions, and the bay leaves, then cook for 5 minutes stirring regularly.
- Then add the parmesan rinds (optional), the chopped garlic and the tomato paste, before pouring in half of the vegetables stock, cook on a medium heat for ten minutes.
- Add the Borlotti and Cannellini beans, the pasta, and the remaining vegetables stock, cook for a further 10 / 12 minutes (depending on the pasta cooking times).
- Finish with the rosemary oil, adjust seasoning, and serve.
Video
HINT AND TIPS:
To add extra flavour to traditional Italian pasta fagioli recipe , add grated parmesan on top.If using fresh pasta, cook the beans for 10 minutes before adding the pasta, as it will cook in about 2 minutes.
This creamy pasta fagioli recipe can be made vegetarian, omitting the pancetta, and adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Allergens: DAIRY, GLUTEN, CELERY
Nutrition
We hope you have enjoyed this amazing traditional Italian pasta fagioli recipe.
If you are looking for Italian soup recipes, check out:
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Last, but not least, for your dessert, we have a couple of amazing recipes using Italian Panettone:
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Buon Apetitto!
One of my most favourite soups! So good on a chilly day.
Beans on pasta are always my best way to appreciate pasta. Beautiful recipe.
Great recipe!
I’ve never thought of adding borlotti beans to pasta; but this one looks so comforting…especially with pancetta!
Great recipe with lots of flavors!
One of our all time favorites! Love this version.
This makes such a delicious meal for my family! We love it!
Such a delicious comforting recipe, love that you can leave out the parmesan rinds to keep it vegan 🙂
This is making me hungry!
Great recipes. I love that I can add in all the veggies to this pasta dish.