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This is another recipe from my mom, just like the manicotti. I would like to tell you a nice nostalgic story of how my mom made this when I was growing up and how much I looked forward to Pasta e Fagioli night. But, alas, when I was young I rarely ate soup when it was put on the table. I was a picky eater. Now as an adult, when I am enjoying a nice hearty Pasta e Fagioli, I think about that picky kid and shake my head. He didn’t know what he was missing out on.

This is one of those recipes where every family makes it a little different. Some people put onions, carrots and celery, some garlic instead of onion. Some put a lot of tomato. Mom’s recipe has celery and onions, and just a little tomato. One thing I like about this recipe is it’s all done in one pot. I have seen recipes where they cook parts of it separate, like boiling the pasta until it is about halfway done first and adding to beans. I find the pasta cooks just fine added straight to the beans in the broth.

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Pasta e Fagioli

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Author: Phil Torre
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 6-8 1x

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Ingredients

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1 lb dried cannellini beans (soaked overnight)
Olive oil
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 to 4 canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand (with a little of their juice)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Parmigiano rind
1/2 lb ditalini pasta
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

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Instructions

Soak the dried cannellini beans in cold water overnight. Drain and rinse.
Heat olive oil in a pot or dutch oven. Add the chopped celery and cook until it starts to soften.
Add the chopped onion and cook until both are soft and translucent.
Add the hand-crushed tomatoes and the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add the beans, the Parmigiano rind, and enough water to cover the beans by an inch. This should be approximately 8 cups of water.
Cook until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1.5 hours for dried. You can cover the pot with the lid partially, or cook uncovered. If the water evaporates too much you can add a little more while cooking. This is a soup after all. I like mine thick, but you can make it the consistency you prefer.
Remove the cheese rind, taste the broth, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Add the ditalini and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side for sprinkling.

Prep Time: 15 mins (plus overnight soak)
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins

MAKE AHEAD / STORAGE / REHEATING

Make ahead: Like most bean soups, this tastes even better the next day once the flavors meld. You can make it a day ahead; if you can, hold off on the pasta and cook it fresh when you reheat (see below).
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheating: The ditalini keeps drinking up liquid as it sits, so leftovers thicken into almost a stew. Reheat gently on the stove and add a splash of water or broth to loosen it back to the consistency you like.
Freezing: You can freeze it for up to 3 months, but the pasta softens after freezing and thawing. If you plan to freeze a batch, make the bean soup without the ditalini, freeze that, then cook fresh pasta into it when you reheat.

About Phil

Phil Torre is a second-generation Italian-American cook. He learned to cook in his father’s New York Italian restaurant, where he worked for over a decade before launching The Italian Chef in 1999.