Pasta e fagioli
Pasta e fagioli — pasta and beans — is one of Italy's most enduring peasant dishes, rooted in the cucina povera tradition of making a satisfying meal from cheap, shelf-stable staples. Across Italian regions it varies considerably: in the Veneto it tends to be more liquid, almost a soup; in Campania and Lazio it thickens to a dense, porridge-like consistency. The flavour base is a classic soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil, deepened with garlic and often anchovy or rosemary. A portion of the beans is crushed into the broth to create creaminess without cream. It is finished with a thread of raw olive oil.
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Can be frozen
Great for meal prep
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 200g short pasta (ditalini, tubetti, or orecchiette)
- 400g canned borlotti or cannellini beans, drained (or 200g dried, soaked overnight and cooked)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 100g pancetta or bacon, diced (optional)
- 400g canned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1.2L hot chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 piece Parmigiano rind (optional, for flavour)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Grated Parmigiano and extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
How to make it
- 1In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat; add the diced pancetta (if using) and cook for 5 minutes, until browned and the fat has rendered.
- 2Add the onion, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt; sauté for 10–12 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelised — this is the soffritto, the aromatic foundation.
- 3Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, rosemary, and thyme; cook for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens.
- 4Add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, and Parmigiano rind (if using); simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- 5Add half the beans whole and the other half mashed with a fork or hand whisk (the traditional texture calls for both); pour in 1.2L hot stock; bring to a boil.
- 6Add the pasta and cook for 8–10 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until al dente; the liquid will thicken as the pasta releases starch.
- 7Taste and adjust salt; remove the Parmigiano rind, rosemary, and thyme stems; let the soup rest 5 minutes — it will thicken further into a dense, creamy stew.
- 8Serve hot in deep bowls; crown with generous fresh black pepper, a heavy drift of grated Parmigiano, and a final drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
