Pasta Fagioli Soup

4.71 from 27 votes

Pasta Fagioli Soup is an Italian classic meaning "pasta and beans", hearty, filling and so delicious! The perfect winter meal full of rich flavors, lots of veggies and beef in a silky tomato broth. This one-pot dinner is prepped in just 20 minutes!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 438kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

½ to 1 pound ground beef (or bulk Italian Sausage)
1 small onion chopped (about 1 cup)
3 ribs celery chopped (about 1 cup)
2 carrots shredded (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 grinds fresh black pepper
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 15oz can white beans such as Great Northern drained and rinsed
1 15oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes chopped with juices
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1½ cups ditalini pasta
chopped parsley for garnish optional
Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the beef. As it is browning, move it to one side of the pot and saute the onion, celery and carrot in the other side using the fat from the beef. About 15 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
When the beef is fully browned and the veggies are softening, add garlic and Italian Seasoning.
Add all other ingredients, cover, lower heat to medium low. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.
Garnish with parsley and serve with Parmesan cheese. As the soup sits, you may need to add another cup of water if it becomes too thick.

Notes

Drain the fat from the beef in Step 1 if you like, or just leave it!
Use any canned tomato such as whole peeled (chopped on a cutting board or in a food processor), diced, crushed, or 4 or 5 fresh garden tomatoes chopped or pureed.
If you can't find ditalini pasta, you can substitute small shells, macaroni, orzo, or another small pasta.

Freezer Instructions - Cool your containers overnight in the fridge first, then freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. If you are planning to freeze a lot of the soup, you can choose to leave the pasta out and add cooked pasta when reheating.

Wait to add the pasta if you plan to let the soup simmer on the stove longer than 30 minutes or if you want to make this in a slow cooker. All the other ingredients would be fine to simmer on low, but the pasta will overcook if it sits too long. You can also boil the pasta separately and add it just before serving.

Nutrition