Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta with Beans)

Pasta e Fagioli, which means in Italian Pasta and beans, is a traditional recipe from the Veneto region, where it is called Pasta e Fazioi in the local dialect.There are other regional variations, one of the most popular being the Neapolitan version, called Pasta Fazool.

This pasta fagioli recipe is the epitome of “cucina povera” – meaning “simple cuisine” and indeed its origins lie with peasants who cooked with a few simple ingredients. But what is pasta e fagioli? It’s a dish that falls somewhere between a soup and a pasta. It’s a soup in that you can eat it with a spoon, but you chew it because you have the beans and the pasta. The result is a dish that is creamy, comforting and ideal during the cold winter weather.

Today I present you this dish in its full simplicity, but with the touch I learned from my grandfather Emo, who loved this dish and used to cook it every Tuesday. His special touch was the addition of some shredded Radicchio di Treviso over the pasta e fagioli. What is radicchio di Treviso? It is a type of red chicory characterized by a slightly bitter taste. I have to confess that it was not my favorite as a kid, but now I really appreciate it as it’s great in pasta, risotto, and of course over pasta e fagioli.

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Why you will love pasta with beans

– Pasta fagioli soup is a hearty dish, perfect for a weeknight dinner.

– This Italian bean soup is vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free but you can try my variations if you are a meat lover.

– It’s easy to make and relatively quick, but there is a note in case you want to follow the traditional Italian recipe for pasta e fagioli, which will require soaking the dry beans and cooking them for a longer time.

– This simple recipe has stood the test of time because it’s so delicious

– If you enjoy it with a topping of radicchio, you will feel like you are on the Prosecco hills eating at one of those local restaurants that serve traditional dishes!

Pasta e Fagioli ingredients

You will need 10 ingredients to make this easy pasta fagioli, including salt, pepper, EVOO and apple cider vinegar.

Onions: they are the backbone of this soup. I usually use yellow onions, but you can also use white onions or even shallots.

Beans: The original recipe calls for borlotti beans, which are brown and slightly larger than cannellini beans. If you really want to be authentic, you could use Lamon beans, a variety of Borlotti that is grown only in the Lamon Valley in the province of Belluno in Veneto. It is quite difficult to find outside Italy. If you cannot find Borlotti, Cannellini is a good alternative. Borlotti beans are packed with fiber and minerals like iron, zinc, and potassium. They are also a great source of low-fat protein: one cup of borlotti beans contains 17 grams of protein, making them ideal if you are following a plant-based diet or just want to incorporate more vegan protein into your daily routine.

Pasta: For this recipe, you will need a small pasta such as elbow maccheroni, ditalini, or small shells. The traditional method calls for egg noodles like tagliatelle or maltagliati (as the name implies, poorly cut, usually obtained through the leftover lasagna sheets).

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Broth: I used a vegetable broth and added more salt for flavor. You can use beef or chicken broth if you prefer a deeper flavor.

Rosemary and bay leaves: these herbs add depth to the dish and go perfectly with the beans.

Radicchio di Treviso: This Italian chicory has colorful, red-veined leaves. Radicchio has a bitter flavor that mellows when grilled or roasted. In addition to many minerals, it is extremely rich in vitamin K, important for blood clotting.

Black pepper: Freshly ground, it enhances the flavor of the beans and radicchio.

Apple cider vinegar: Use a little of this to dress the radicchio, along with a healthy splash of EVOO. The vinegar goes well with the radicchio as it enhances its flavor.

How to make Pasta Fagioli

This recipe follows a quick method, for each step I will also highlight the difference between the traditional recipe my grandfather used to cook.

STEP 1: In a large Dutch Oven or soup pot, heat 3 tablespoons of EVOO over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped onions, rosemary, and bay leaves and cook until the onions are translucent, 8-10 minutes.

If you want to follow the traditional method: Add some lard or pancetta (Italian unsmoked bacon, usually sliced or diced paper-thin) to the onions and cook until the fat has dissolved.

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STEP 2: Add 2 cans of borlotti beans that you drained and rinsed earlier. At this point add also the tomato paste, mix well and cook for 10 minutes.

If you want to follow the traditional method: Instead of canned beans, you could soak the beans for 12 hours the day before and then you can boil them for 2 hours until tender. Only after this process you can add them to the onions. 

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STEP 3: Remove the rosemary and bay leaves, add 1 quart or 5 cups of vegetable stock. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and remove 1/3 of the contents of the pot. Make sure you remove the beef and liquid as well.

If you want to follow the traditional method: You could use beef or chicken broth.

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STEP 4: Add the dry pasta and let it cook, for the time indicated on the package. My tip: I cook the pasta in the same pot, not only to be faster, but also because the pasta release their liquid, creating a denser and thicker soup.

If you want to follow the traditional method: You can use fresh egg noodles, like maltagliati or tagliatelle. It will only take a few minutes as it cooks faster than dry pasta.

STEP 5: While the pasta is cooking, mash the mixture of beans and broth that you removed earlier until it forms a kind of cream. Return the pureed beans to the pot and turn off the heat. You can use a blender for this.

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STEP 6: Chop up the red radicchio and toss with EVOO, apple cider vinegar, salt, and a generous amount of ground black pepper. Arrange pasta e fagioli on plates and top with red radicchio.

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Pasta e Fagioli variations and substitutions

As for substitutions, you may have noticed that the traditional method uses beef or chicken broth, instead of vegetable broth, and fresh egg pasta, instead of dry pasta. If you cannot find borlotti beans, sub them with cannellini.

As for variations:

– You may have noticed that the traditional recipe uses lard or pancetta to form the backbone of this soup.

– If you want to make this dish more vegetables-heavy, you could make a soffritto with onions, carrots, celery and garlic. I prefer to keep it simple to preserve the simplicity of this recipe.

– In case you are a meat lover: You could add extra bacon on top instead of the radicchio.

– If you like a sharper flavor, add some shaved parmesan or Aged Asiago.

–If you want to make this dish gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta or substitute the pasta with some cubed potatoes.

Looking for more soup ideas? Check out my quick and easy Venetian Cabbage Soup, or the creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.

Looking for more bean recipes? Check out the Kale Cannellini salad with Vegan Pesto.

Serving suggestions

You can serve this dish as a main course, along with some Rosemary Focaccia Bread and an Italian side salad.

This soup is best eaten the same day, otherwise, the pasta will lose its bite and texture.

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Which wine to pair with Pasta e Fagioli

I would choose a lesser known wine such as Nebbiolo from the Piemonte region. Its notes of leather and anise pair well with the richness of the dish and the radicchio topping.

Another choice would be a Chianti Classico. Its notes of tomato leaves go well with this soup and accentuate the blend of herbs in its base.

Please let me know in the comments how you like the Pasta e Fagioli! I would really love to hear from you, and hope this dish will be like a hug in a bowl during the cold winter days!

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