Pasta and Bean Soup – based on Italian Pasta e Fagioli – is a big bowl of happy. It’s a favorite in my soup rotation despite my previous skepticism given its campy appearance in Dean Martin’s “That’s Amore.” But my husband assured me it was an honest to goodness soup made by his grandmother.
Pasta and Bean soup is full of vegetables, including the classic trio of onions, carrots, and celery. Chopped spinach adds color and nutrition, as do tomatoes. Pasta and beans provide carby comfort, and the little nuggets of crumbled Italian sausage bring joy.
I use broth that combines chicken and beef. It’s a nod to the Italian meat broth that I learned about from my husband’s grandmother which she used for many soups and sauces. Homemade meat broth is full-bodied and flavorful, but I tend to save it for a more broth-forward soup. For this soup, I go with store-bought broth (from a can or carton or bouillon).
Canned cannellini beans are my go-to for this recipe. Cranberry beans are also traditional but they’re not always readily available. Happily, I found some dried cranberry beans recently at a farmers market, so of course I came home and made this soup. I always stress about soaking and overcooking, but then really enjoy the ritual of slowly simmering dried beans. This Serious Eats article is a helpful reference regarding the substitution of dried beans for canned.
Because I can pull it off with a well stocked freezer and pantry, I make Pasta and Bean Soup frequently in winter months. It’s right at home as the main course, no need for bread, salad or other sides. For me, that’s amore!
My recipe is adapted from the Pasta e Fagioli recipe at Delish.com.
Pasta and Bean Soup
EQUIPMENT
- 1 large (6 quart or more) Dutch Oven or stock pot
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz bulk Italian sausage or 2 links
- ½ large onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 heaping Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 6 cups meat broth (chicken broth or combination of chicken and beef broth)
- 10 oz frozen boxed chopped spinach
- 2 (15.5 oz) cans cannellini beans
- Parmesan rind optional
- 1.5 cup small-shape dried pasta e.g., ditalini, small elbows
- grated Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot (at least 6 quarts) over medium heat. Add sausage to the pot, removing the casing if necessary. Use a spatula to break up the sausage and cook until done.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper to the pot. Cook about 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened, stirring well. Add tomato paste, fennel seeds, and oregano and cook for a minute, stirring well. Stir in garlic and cook for about a minute.
- Add tomatoes with their juice to the pot. Use a spatula to break up the tomatoes into small bite size pieces and deglaze the pan. Stir well to combine.
- Pour in the broth and bring to gentle boil. Add the parmesan rind to the pot if using.
- Add frozen spinach, return to boil. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or cook according to instructions on frozen spinach packaging, stirring occasionally to break up spinach. Once spinach is cooked, stir well to combine.
- Add beans with their liquid (if using canned beans), stir well to combine, and again bring back to simmer.
- Add dried pasta. Bring to boil and cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until pasta is tender to your liking. Use timing on pasta package as a guide.
- Remove parmesan rind and discard. Taste and add salt or pepper as you like. Garnish with grated Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- I prefer cooking the pasta directly in the soup for one-pot convenience. Because the pasta absorbs a lot of broth and thickens the cooking liquid, some recipes advise cooking the pasta separately before adding it to the soup. I don’t find this to be a problem as long as there’s enough broth.
- I like to use a combination of chicken and beef broth. Store bought broth (low sodium) in a can or carton offers everyday convenience. Lately I’ve been using bouillon base from a jar (i.e. Better than Bouillon) in which case I follow label instructions for making the appropriate quantity of broth.
- The flavor of this soup improves overnight in the refrigerator, although the pasta softens and the soup thickens. Add a bit of water or broth when reheating to loosen up the soup if needed.
- Canned cannellini beans are my go-to for this soup. Cranberry beans (aka borlotti beans) are also traditional for Pasta Fagioli but in my experience they are not available canned and hard to find dried. When I’m lucky enough to find dried cranberry beans, I’ll soak 1 cup of beans and cook them separately before adding them to the soup. Cooking dried beans can feel like a conundrum, but this Serious Eats article is a good reference. I’m not sure starting with dried cranberry beans makes better soup, but it always feels like an accomplishment.
- I like the color and nutrition that spinach adds to the soup. Frozen chopped spinach is my go-to for convenience but fresh spinach is a welcome substitution. Start with about 1 pound of fresh spinach, wash, remove stems, and chop leaves roughly. Then add to pot once broth is simmering, and cook until spinach is done before continuing with beans and pasta.
