Quick Pasta e Fagioli

By Ali Slagle

Updated April 14, 2026

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
20 min
Rating
5(622)
Comments
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While there are many ways to make a hearty soup of pasta and beans, this version of pasta e fagioli is tomato-rich and thick enough to coat a spoon, like some Italian-American renditions. While it usually includes sautéed celery, onions and carrots, on hurried nights, skip the meticulous chopping: A little cured meat, whether bacon or pancetta, and garlic build a savory base on their own. You could also add a green vegetable by stirring torn kale leaves or baby spinach into the soup in the last three minutes of simmering. The pasta will guzzle the broth as it sits, so thin leftovers with more broth.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 3 slices bacon, chopped (or 4 ounces diced pancetta)

  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

  • 4 cups chicken broth

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes

  • 8 ounces short pasta, such as elbows or ditalini

  • ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini or pinto beans

  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

  • Grated Parmesan and chopped parsley (optional), for serving 

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

69 grams carbs; 14 milligrams cholesterol; 446 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 10 grams fat; 12 grams fiber; 1152 milligrams sodium; 22 grams protein; 8 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the bacon and garlic over medium-high. Stir occasionally until golden and crisp, 3 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat if the bottom of the pot is getting too dark.

  2. Step 2

    Add the broth, tomatoes, pasta, Italian seasoning, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high. 

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, drain and rinse the beans and add those in, too. Reduce to a lively simmer over medium-high and cook until the pasta is al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir often, scraping the bottom of the pot to keep the pasta from sticking and mashing some of the tomatoes and beans against the side of the pot.

  4. Step 4

    Off the heat, stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls, then top with Parmesan and chopped parsley, if using.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
622 user ratings
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Comments

Axel

Excellent recipe !! Just cooked it this evening (we live in France). We loved it, that's the first thing ! Now, a few (positive) comments ! 1/ Prepare more broth : we prepared 5 cups of broth, because some types of pasta soak up more water than others and you don't want to find yourself with a dry meal. Add more broth if you feel it's necessary. 2/ We added carrots and celery. We diced 3 carrots and minced 3 celery sticks. Boil for 15 minutes, rinse with cold water. Prepare ahead of time, so

Karen Lee

Axel, thanks for your suggestions! As so many soup recipes start with mirepoix, I wondered why this one didn't have carrots, celery, and onions. I will add them, and leave out the bacon or pancetta. Then the recipe can be vegetarian if one prefers. When making a big pot of soup, I cook the pasta separately. That way, when there are leftovers, you can add cooked pasta to the leftovers so it stays al dente. Or, add another grain the second day.

Jim

This what we grew up calling "Pasta Fazoole". Sweat some onions, add a can or 2 of beans, including the liquid, maybe a cup or so of water, season with oregano and/or whatever else you like for flavor, add 5-6 tablespoons of spaghetti sauce, simmer until it thickens a bit. Cook the macaroni separately, then add to the soup, finish with grated cheese. Here's the most important part: Put it in the fridge, and eat it the next day. Nothing tastes better than leftover Pasta Fazoole.

Jeroen

Savoury dish! Made a mirepoix as I had the time. Did a 50/50 on chicken and beef broth. Added laurel, thyme and rosemary. It really gained a ton of flavor after two days in the fridge.

mer in curtis park

added 1/2 lb of sweet italian sausage, used full 16 oz of pasta, pre-cooked the pasta to al dente which worked out great, went cray-cray with spices, fresh-ground fennel, cumin, oregano, thyme. used onion and celery. next time (sans 20-month-year-old grandson) will add some red pepper flakes. diced sweet peppers would be a nice addition. the toddler loved it for dinner AND lunch the next day, parents loved it because the toddler loved it. big hit all around. and yeah, i liked it too.

Michael D from Victoria, BC

In step 3, when the recipe says to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot, I instead used a handheld immersion blender to puree some of the contents (which included carrots, onion, and celery), just as I do when making minestrone. That thickened it and made it more to my taste (though I see from other readers' comments who added more broth, that they must prefer a thinner, soupier product).

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