If you have been craving pasta e fagioli, this classic version delivers everything you love about the original. "Pasta and beans" — the peasant bowl that tastes like a week of Sundays. It is simple, honest cooking — the kind of dish Italian home cooks have made for generations, and one you can master on the first try.
Why This Recipe Works
Cannellini beans (half pureed), tomato paste and ditalini do the heavy lifting here, so every ingredient has a job. Nothing is complicated and nothing is wasted — pasta e fagioli is proof that a handful of good ingredients beats a long shopping list.
A Note on Ingredients
Pureeing one can of beans thickens the broth without cream. Ditalini is the classic shape, but any short tube holds the broth of pasta e fagioli well.
How to Make It, Step by Step
Gild the garlic in olive oil, toast the tomato paste until brick-colored, then add pureed and whole beans, basil, broth, wine and boiling water. Simmer, drop in the pasta, and cook it right in the broth so the starch thickens everything. Finish each bowl of pasta e fagioli with Parmesan and raw basil.
Tips for the Best Results
- Toast the paste properly — 3 full minutes — or it tastes raw.
- The soup thickens as it sits; keep boiling water nearby to loosen.
- Cook the pasta in the soup, not separately, for body.
Make Ahead and Storage
Refrigerate 3 days; add a splash of water when reheating.
More Italian Recipes to Try
When you are ready for your next Italian project, browse all of our tested recipes or dig into our cooking guides. A great next step is our Cavatelli with Sausage and Broccoli — and for the history behind the dish, this overview of pasta e fagioli is worth a read.
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