Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Bean Soup)

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Pasta e fagioli – pronounced PAH-stah eh fah-JOH-lee, though you’ll hear plenty of Italian-Americans call it “pasta fazool” – literally translates to “pasta and beans.” And that’s exactly what it is. It is one of the simplest, most satisfying Italian soups you can make, and it has been a staple in our family for as long as I can remember.

I love this dish for three reasons: it’s easy, it’s fast, and my kids eat it. Need I say more? When you’re raising a large family, having a handful of recipes that check all three of those boxes is worth its weight in gold. This is one of those recipes. It goes from an empty stovetop to the dinner table in about 30 minutes, it uses ingredients I almost always have on hand, and there are never any complaints. That’s a win in my book.

Our version is different from the heavy, tomato-based pasta e fagioli you might be used to from restaurants. Ours is a lighter, broth-based soup built on olive oil, onion, garlic, and the starchy liquid from the beans themselves. We add fresh spinach and parsley at the end, which gives the whole dish a freshness that the thick, red versions just don’t have. It’s closer to the way it’s made in many Italian homes – simple, clean, and focused on a few good ingredients rather than a dozen competing flavors.

Serve it with a drizzle of good olive oil and a generous pile of Pecorino Romano on top. If you have a loaf of crusty Italian bread or our rosemary bread on the side for dipping, even better. This is the kind of soup that makes the whole family happy without requiring much from the cook, and that’s exactly why it’s been in our rotation for decades.

Why This Pasta e Fagioli Is Different

If you’ve had pasta e fagioli at an American Italian restaurant, it was probably thick, red, and loaded with ground beef, carrots, celery, and canned tomato sauce. That version has its place, but it’s not how most Italian families actually make it at home. Our version is much lighter and simpler. The base is olive oil, onion, and garlic simmered with water and beans. No tomatoes. No meat. The beans break down slightly as they cook, which naturally thickens the broth and gives it body without needing any cream or heavy additions.

The spinach and fresh parsley go in at the very end, just long enough to wilt the spinach and let the parsley release its flavor. This keeps the soup looking bright and green rather than dull and overcooked. The parsley is not a garnish here – it’s a full third of a cup chopped and stirred right into the pot. It adds a freshness that balances the earthiness of the beans and the starchiness of the pasta.

The finishing touch matters too. A generous drizzle of good olive oil and a mountain of freshly grated Pecorino Romano on top is what takes this from a bowl of beans and pasta to something that feels special. We use Partanna olive oil for the finishing drizzle – it’s Sicilian and fruity and it makes a real difference when you’re using it raw on top of a hot soup.

What You Need

Olive oil: Three tablespoons for cooking, plus extra for drizzling on top when you serve. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. We use Partanna in our kitchen. The finishing drizzle of olive oil is not optional – it adds a richness and flavor that pulls the whole bowl together.

Onion: One small onion, diced. The onion cooks down in the olive oil and becomes the flavor base of the entire soup. Let it go for a full 5 minutes until it’s soft and translucent before adding the garlic.

Garlic: One clove, minced. Cook it for just a minute after the onion – you want it fragrant and golden, not burned. Burned garlic turns bitter and will throw off the flavor of the whole pot.

Red kidney beans: Two cans, drained. Red kidney beans are traditional in our family’s version, but cannellini (white kidney beans) or borlotti beans work too. Use whatever you have on hand – this is a pantry soup at heart.

Spinach: Two cups, roughly chopped. Fresh spinach is best here because it wilts quickly and keeps its bright green color. Frozen spinach works in a pinch but squeeze out as much water as possible before adding it to the pot, or the soup will get watery.

Fresh parsley: One-third of a cup, chopped. This is a significant amount of parsley and it’s intentional – it’s not a garnish, it’s a flavor component. The parsley adds brightness and freshness that makes this version of pasta e fagioli taste clean and vibrant rather than heavy.

Garlic pepper: Half a teaspoon. We use Redmond Real Salt Garlic Pepper – it’s organic and adds a savory depth. Fresh cracked pepper works too.

Salt: One teaspoon. We use Redmond Real Salt in everything we cook. Adjust to taste at the end.

Ditalini pasta: Half a pound. Ditalini are small tube-shaped pasta that are the classic choice for pasta e fagioli. They’re the perfect size to fit on a spoon alongside the beans. Small shells or tubettini work well too. Cook the pasta separately in salted boiling water and add it to the soup at the end – this keeps the pasta from absorbing all the broth and getting mushy.

Pecorino Romano: Freshly grated, and don’t be shy. The salty, sharp flavor of Pecorino is what makes this soup sing. Parmigiano Reggiano works too if that’s what you have.

How to Make Pasta e Fagioli

Build the base. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a medium pot and warm it over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until it’s soft and translucent. Then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn. Your kitchen should smell incredible at this point.

Simmer the beans. Add the 4 cups of water, the drained kidney beans, salt, and garlic pepper to the pot. Stir everything together and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. During this time, some of the beans will start to break down and naturally thicken the broth. This is exactly what you want – it gives the soup body without adding anything extra.

Cook the pasta separately. While the beans simmer, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ditalini until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside. Cooking the pasta separately is important – if you cook it directly in the soup, it will absorb all the broth as it sits and you’ll end up with a thick paste instead of a soup. By adding it at the end, the pasta stays firm and the broth stays soupy.

Add the greens. After the beans have simmered for 20 minutes, add the chopped spinach and parsley to the pot. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the parsley is fragrant. The soup will turn a beautiful green-flecked color that looks as fresh as it tastes.

Combine and serve. Add the cooked pasta to the bean pot and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and finish each one with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a handful of freshly grated Pecorino Romano, and a little extra chopped parsley on top if you have it.

Tips for the Best Pasta e Fagioli

Cook the pasta separately. This is the most important tip for pasta e fagioli. If you cook the pasta directly in the soup, it will continue to absorb the broth as it sits and by the time you go for seconds (or leftovers), you’ll have a thick, starchy mush instead of a soup. Cooking it separately and adding it at the end keeps everything in balance. If you’re meal prepping, store the pasta and soup in separate containers and combine when you reheat.

Let the beans break down. The 20-minute simmer is not just to heat the beans through – it’s to let some of them start to fall apart and thicken the broth naturally. If you want an even creamier result, use the back of a wooden spoon to mash a few beans against the side of the pot about halfway through the simmer.

Don’t skip the finishing olive oil. A raw drizzle of good olive oil on top of each bowl adds a fruity richness that brings the whole soup to life. This is not the same as the oil you cooked the onion in – this is fresh, uncooked, and it should be the best olive oil you have.

Use plenty of cheese. Pecorino Romano is the classic choice and its salty, sharp flavor pairs perfectly with the earthy beans. Grate it fresh rather than using the pre-grated stuff from a container – the flavor difference is significant.

This soup is even better the next day. The flavors continue to develop overnight. Just remember to store the pasta separately if possible, or add a little extra water when reheating since the pasta will have absorbed some of the broth.

Serving Instructions

This soup is a complete meal on its own – beans for protein, pasta for carbs, spinach for greens. But if you want to round out the table, serve it with a thick slice of warm crusty bread. Our basic Italian bread is perfect for soaking up the broth, and our rosemary bread adds an herbal note that complements the parsley in the soup beautifully.

Pasta e fagioli is also a wonderful Lenten or meatless meal. It’s filling enough that nobody misses the meat, and the combination of beans and pasta is both nourishing and satisfying. For a full meatless Italian dinner, pair this with a simple salad dressed with olive oil and lemon and you’re set.

If you love Italian soups, we have a growing collection on the blog. Our Italian tomato soup with sausage is a rich, creamy option that pairs perfectly with grilled cheese. Italian lentil soup is another meatless favorite with a completely different flavor profile. One last option, Italian egg drop soup is the quickest of the bunch – a 30-minute pantry soup with eggs, peas, and small pasta. And for something heartier with meat, our spezzatino (Italian beef stew) is the one to make on cold winter nights.

A Little More Info

This is one of those recipes that reminds me why I cook. It is not complicated. This doesn’t require expensive ingredients or special techniques. It’s just good, simple food made with care, served with bread and cheese, and shared with the people you love. That is what Italian cooking has always been about, and pasta e fagioli is one of the purest expressions of it.

This recipe is from our family cookbook, Roots of Sicily. It has 167 authentic Sicilian recipes and 139 family stories passed down through four generations – from quick weeknight soups like this one to elaborate holiday feasts. Every recipe comes with the story behind it, because in our family, the stories are just as important as the food.