Authentic Pasta Fagioli

Authentic pasta fagioli is a traditional Italian pasta dish featuring, as the name suggests, pasta and beans. It's a timeless dish that is a cornerstone of "la cucina povera". With a few simple ingredients, this dish will provide a humble, but hearty and delicious meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Servings people

Calories 584kcal

Author Pina Bresciani

Ingredients

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (plus more for garnish)
½ cup white or yellow onion (diced)
½ cup chopped carrots (diced)
½ cup chopped celery (diced)
2.5 cups canned beans, rinsed (Romano beans, also known as Borlotti beans)
1 cup tomato passata (crushed strained tomatoes)
3.5 cups vegetable stock (plus more if needed)
1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind
120 g small shell pasta (or ditalini)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (plus ½ tablespoon minced rosemary)

Instructions

In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Once olive oil is heated through, add diced carrots, celery and onions. Add salt. Cook until fragrant - about 5 minutes.
Add the beans and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add the passata along with the vegetable stock and parmigiana reggiano rind. Season with salt. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Optional step but recommended (this will give the dish a creamy consistency) - remove about 1.5 cups of the broth/beans, trying to grab a bit more beans than broth, and place into the cup of an immersion blender. Use the immersion blender to blend the mixture until well blended and a creamy consistency forms.
Place the blended ingredients back into the broth.
When the mixture comes to a boil, add in the pasta. Stir constantly until the pasta is cooked. If pasta is not stirred constantly, it will stick to the pot. If pasta absorbs too much liquid, add more vegetable stock.
Remove the rosemary sprigs and cheese rind. Add the chopped rosemary and stir once more.
Plate and top with extra olive oil, grated parmigiano reggiano, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

If you'd like the final dish to have a brothier consistency, add more broth when the pasta is cooking
If you don't have vegetable stock on hand, water will work well too

Nutrition