Pasta e fagioli: The Authentic Recipe

FrankCampania, pasta, primi piatti, Soups102 Comments

Pasta e fagioli

Pasta e fagioli, or pasta and beans, which goes by the amusing nickname ‘pasta fazool‘ in Italian-American slang, is one of the most internationally famous dishes in the entire Italian repertoire.  It is a victim of its own success, however, too often made badly—very badly—which is why I would never order this dish in a restaurant outside Italy. The real thing, however, is not at all hard to make at home. In fact, it is a great standby for weeknights where you don’t have much time and need to whip up something quickly. And the results are really wonderful on a cold winter night.  

There are lots of authentic variations on the dish—the recipe varies from area to area and, I would dare say, from family to family—but here is the way I like to make it:

Ingredients

For 4-6 servings

  • 100g (4 oz.) pancetta
  • 2 or 3 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
  • A sprig of fresh rosemary
  • A peperoncino (optional)
  • Olive Oil
  • 3-4 canned tomatoes, plus a bit of juice
  • 500g (1 lb.) (or one large can) cannellini beans, pre-boiled dried or canned, drained
  • Water or homemade broth 
  • 500g (1 lb.) ditali or other soup pasta (see Notes), parboiled
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Grated pecorino cheese

Directions

If pre-boiling the beans, pre-soak them overnight in abundant water. Simmer them the next day until tender, about an hour or so depending on how old your beans are, seasoning with salt towards the end of cooking. (If you like, you can add a garlic clove and a sprig of parsley.)

Fry the pancetta, cut up into cubes or lardons, in olive oil until just beginning to brown, then add the garlic cloves and rosemary. (You can also add a peperoncino at this point if you like some spice.)

When you start to smell the garlic and rosemary, add the canned tomatoes, which you should crush in your hands as you add them to the pot. Simmer until the tomatoes have separated from the oil.

Then add your cannellini beans, allow them to simmer for a minute or two to insaporire (absorb the flavors of the tomato and other ingredients) and then add water (or broth) and partially cooked pasta (see below). The amount of liquid depends on how ‘soupy’ you like your pasta e fagioli, but I would add at least enough to cover the ingredients by 5cm/2in, as the pasta will absorb quite a bit. 

Continue simmering, squashing some of the beans against the side of the pot so that they ‘melt’ into the liquid and thicken it, until the pasta is fully cooked. Add more liquid if things begin to dry out. 

I like to mix in a bit of grated pecorino cheese to enrich the soup before serving. Serve topped with you choice of additional grated cheese, freshly ground pepper and/or un filo d’olio.

Notes on Pasta e fagioli

Cannellini are the classic choice for pasta e fagioli, but you can use other kinds of beans if you like. In fact, just about any legume could do, although the most typical alternatives would be pintos or cranberry beans. By the way, canned beans are perfectly acceptable, but do remember to drain and wash them well before adding them to the pot. The canning liquid would otherwise give the dish an ‘off’, artificial taste. One legume that I would not try this way are peas; their flavor is too delicate to stand up to such a robust, rustic treatment. Try instead this delicate pasta e piselli dish with just onions, parsley and broth.

And, of course, the choice of pasta can vary, although small, stubby pastas work best. I personally like ditali (as shown above) but small shells or ‘elbows’ would work well. In Italy, it is very common to use the odds and ends of different pastas you have around, called pasta mista or pasta spezzata. It’s a great way to use up those last few pieces of pasta at the bottom of the box. Collect them in a towel or bag, then smash them with meat pounder or the back of a skillet until they’re all about the same small size.

Some recipes call for adding the pasta directly to the soup pot without pre-cooking them. If you do that, however, be careful; I find that the pasta inevitably sticks to the bottom of the pot and can burn. And be sure to add quite a bit extra water as the pasta will absorb it readily as it cooks.

The variations are (almost) endless

There are nearly endless variations for pasta e fagioli, beginning with the proportions. You can add more or less of each ingredient according to taste. This is why measurements for this thing are almost senseless, except as a starting point. The dish can be made in bianco, or entirely without tomato. Other recipes call for just one or two tomatoes for color, others add lots of tomato.

If you prefer a vegetarian dish, you can omit the pancetta, which I often do. And if you wish to ‘veganize’ it, don’t use cheese either. Or you can use crumbed sausage meat instead of the pancetta. Salt pork also works well, as does something called ‘country ham’. Regular cooked ham, however, does not give you the right flavor for this dish, IMHO. You can make the soup even meatier by using broth. Personally, I find that with all the other flavors going on, water is not only acceptable but preferable. If you’ve made the beans yourself, do use the cooking water from the beans, which have wonderful flavor.

You can make a milder, more ‘refined’ version of this dish by starting off with a flavoring base of onion, carrot and celery rather than garlic, rosemary and red pepper. In this case, you could also substitute parmesan for the pecorino. Personally, I prefer this heartier, earthier version.

But…

But even if this dish can be highly personalized, there are some limits beyond which you are killing the ‘spirit’ of the dish and, as I mentioned, this soup is all too often subject to culinary abuse abroad. An authentic pasta e fagioli should not be brothy, as you will often see when this and other pasta and legume dishes (including minestrone) are made outside Italy. Rather, you should end up with a thick soup that is almost a stew. Ignore recipes that use this soup as a dumping ground for all sorts of extraneous dried herbs or overwhelm the other flavors with too much tomato. For example, this recipe for pasta e fagioli, supposedly from the Olive Garden restaurant chain, is a true monstrosity, more of a bad chili than an Italian soup.

Pasta e fagioli: The Authentic Recipe

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 100g (4 oz.) pancetta
  • 2 or 3 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
  • A sprig of fresh rosemary
  • A peperoncino (optional)
  • Olive Oil
  • 3-4 canned tomatoes, plus a bit of juice
  • 500g (1 lb.) (or one large can) cannellini beans, pre-boiled or canned, drained
  • Water or homemade broth
  • 500g (1 lb.) ditali or other soup pasta (see Notes), parboiled
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Grated pecorino cheese

Directions

  1. If pre-boiling the beans, pre-soak them overnight in abundant water. Simmer them the next day until tender, about an hour or so depending on how old your beans are, seasoning with salt towards the end of cooking. (If you like, you can add a garlic clove and a sprig of parsley.)
  2. Fry the pancetta, cut up into cubes or lardons, in olive oil until just beginning to brown, then add the garlic cloves and rosemary. (You can also add a peperoncino at this point if you like some spice.)
  3. Just when you start to smell the garlic and rosemary, add the canned tomatoes, which you should crush in your hands as you add them to the pot. (I just add one or two plus a little juice, just enough to lightly color the soup and add a little flavor) and simmer until the tomatoes have separated from the oil.
  4. Then add your cannellini beans, allow them to simmer for a minute or two to insaporire (absorb the flavors of the tomato and other ingredients) and then add water (or broth) and partially cooked pasta (see below).
  5. Continue simmering, squashing some of the beans against the side of the pot so that they 'melt' into the liquid and thicken it, until the pasta is fully cooked.
  6. I like to mix in a bit of grated pecorino cheese to enrich the soup before serving. Serve topped with you choice of additional grated cheese, freshly ground pepper and/or un filo d'olio.
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102 Comments on “Pasta e fagioli: The Authentic Recipe”

  1. It’s a cold and rainy night and I just made this for dinner without the pancetta, because I didn’t have any on hand. We didn’t miss it at all. Thank you for this simple, delicious recipe. I am always amazed at the number of meatless Italian pasta dishes that pack so much flavor. The whole world needs to know that these simple, economical, healthy dishes exist. Grazie mille.

    1. Fantastic! So glad you liked it. I, too, sometimes make it without the pancetta and it’s quite tasty all the same.

      Funny you mention it, as once upon a time the whole world did know about these kinds of simple, economical, healthy but very tasty dishes. But somewhere along the way, they’ve been largely forgotten… 🙁 That’s one reason I started this blog.

  2. Thank you for this recipe! I was lucky enough to grow up with pasta fagioli as my Nonna was from Frosinone, Italy. Since she’s gone, I am lost without her cooking! This one is as close and as wonderful as it gets.

  3. re the listing of “3-4 canned tomatoes'” – what do you mean, exactly? Up to 4 cans of tomatoes, or 3/4 of a can? What size can? 4 cans of significant size would make a heck of a lot of broth…thanks

    1. I mean just what it says. 3 or 4 tomatoes, from a can. (Not 3 or 4 cans of tomatoes.) Just enough to give a little color to the dish.

  4. I wonder what the original Pasta e Fagioli tasted or looked like… Italians have had beans and tomatoes, as we know them, for only about 400 or so years.
    I’m guessing it would have been pasta e lenticchie.

    1. I think you’re right, Richard. Italians did have Old World legumes like lentils, chickpeas and fava beans, all of which pair nicely with pasta. So when the Phaseolus vulgaris arrived from the New World, it was just a matter of taking a familiar recipe and substituting the new ingredient.

      As for tomato, as you say another New World import, it was often added to existing dishes, so when you see a dish like this one, with both “white” and “red” versions, the “white” (aka tomato-less) version is usually the original.

  5. I haven’t read all of the comments, so I apologize if this is a repeat question. When you say a can of tomatoes, what size can? I usually have a 14.5 oz can or a 28 oz. Same with the beans. My grandmother made it like this so I’m eyeballing it. But I would love to know for sure. Love all of the recipes I have tried so far!!! Thank you!!

  6. Perfection. I softened my own beans so I used the water, no broth, and it was outstanding. The cheese is essential for me and I added torn fresh basil and a spin of olive oil over the top. Wonderful recipe, thank you.

  7. In Tucson we are blessed to have a wonderful Italian grocery/deli, Roma Imports! They don’t always stock guanciale, but try to have in on hand as the holiday season approaches.
    Buon Natale, Frank! E mille grazie!

  8. Coming a little late onto the scene…apologies! Thinking about adding chopped kale to this gem of a recipe. I’m also blessed to have a chunk of guanciale on hand, rather than pancetta, so will make that substitution.
    Buon Natale to you and yours, Frank! And thanks for so many wonderful recipes!

    1. Same to you, Charles! And lucky you to have guanciale on hand, it can be hard to find! Have a wonderful holiday season. 🙂

  9. Was taught almost this exact recipe from someone from Marche… instead of pancetta used pigs feet for flavor. Delicious.

  10. I think it’s great. My wife looked at it and grumped – “it’s thick. It’s supposed to be a soup.” Go to Olive Garden dear.

  11. I lived in Tuscany for many with a Florentine man with a discriminating palate. He would make pasta e fagioli often and it was superb. It’s been a few years and I probably could pull the recipe together from the archives of my cobwebby mind but decided to do a search anyway. I made yours yesterday. It is heavenly and yes, authentic. Started with dried borlotti beans. Just finished a bowl with a piece of homemade bread and a juice glass of Coppola vino rosso. This is the recipe to beat. Grazie, Frank.

  12. I was looking for the families recipe of pasta fazool but could not find it. I even asked my sister if she had it around because I know she made it in the past. When I looked at the picture of your finished product it looked so much like my families. I am going to try making this in the next week or so but without meat. We never put meat in it as this was a Friday staple at our house. Thanks for sharing!

      1. This is exactly the way my grandmother made pasta fazool :). She did not use pancetta, though. I have a pot of it on the stove this very minute!!!!!!!!!!

  13. Culinary abuse captures the essence of what I have seen in Italian restaurants in the states, which is why I too will never order it here. Your recipe is authentic and mirrors the way in which our family has enjoyed this classic dish for years.

  14. Dear Frank,

    I made this today! Delicious, thanks for sharing it, forgot the pecorino bit though, nevertheless it tasted really good.

    Keep up the good work!
    Janet

    1. Fantastic, Janet. So glad you liked it. And no worries about the pecorino. Not everyone adds cheese. In fact, I don’t always myself, depending on my mood.

  15. This is interesting, because when I started cooking a million years ago, I came across a recipe for fagioli in an Italian cookbook, and it was way more involved than yours. So that’s how I made it for years. I’ve kind of forgotten about it lately, but now I want to make yours!!

  16. Thank you for sharing this recipe, Frank and showing the difference between authentic and the badly imitated recipe.
    Have you ever considered setting up a Food tour to Italy?
    My husband and I would go in a heartbeat! You explain the the history of the food so well.

    1. You flatter me, Celeste! Maybe one day I might put a food tour together. I think it’d be great fun! But I think I’d need to wait until I retire from my day job. 😉

  17. As long as our sugo doesn’t have any meat in it, we’re game for pasta and beans! I love borlotti the best and not super soupy, although my father and son love it that way. I can’t stand seeing the completely un-Italian versions of this dish that are shared on so many blogs. The “one-pot pasta” recipes are making me insane! Keep on sharing the real thing, Frank! <3

    1. Thanks, Christina! It sometimes feels like cursing the tide, but, yes, those of us who care need to keep promoting the real thing!

  18. Frank – my family’s version used the traditional soffritto without the garlic, and I loved it. I have never had it with rosemary and peppers! How fun to mix up the flavors. Like you, I will use salt pork in place of pancetta when I can’t get pancetta… generally, I am not a fan of American bacon in European recipes!

  19. Wonderful dish, Frank. Your preparation is similar to the one I make and I love it. In fact, it’s on the menu sometime during the days ahead when our temps will remain well below freezing. It was meant for days like these.

  20. you’re so right Frank, the pasta must be cooked separately, there is nothing worse than chewy pasta cooked in a thick broth! In Umbria we use fresh tagliolini or maltagliati or broken up egg pasta, it cooks in seconds and when added to the soup (I toss it first with a little olive oil) it’s heaven!

  21. Thank you Frank! This recipe of Pasta Fagioli brings back childhood memories of having this dish on Fridays, when meat was not an option! My mom also made a simple version of fresh celery and Lima beans. Sometimes she would keep the broth plain and sometimes she would add a small can of sauce, just to color it a bit. I treasure your site for all the memories you bring back to me and for posting all the recipes I thought were lost to me. God bless you. Happy Advent. I used to visit my Nonna Maria on Fridays and she would often make Pasta i Cici. She had 13 children and pasta with beans was economic.Will you be posting any holiday favorites for the Italian saints?

  22. Frank, are we related? Your posts always seem to resonate a childhood cord with me and this particular recipe is exactly what I was familiar with as a child.
    My daughter’s first semister at NYU and experience with institutional food was a less than positive one. The tipping point was one evening when Pasta e Fagioli was available and I received an urgent text “ Culturally insensitive liars” – she was appalled – explaining that it was flavorless, lacking texture and without the appropriate ration of pasta to fagioli.

  23. Love this dish! And I make mine similar to the way you make yours. In the past I’ve used chicken broth, but I think you’re right that water gives a better dish. And mine is just a bit soupier than yours. At first, at least — after some time, the pasta really absorbs much of the liquid. Anyway, really good. Thanks!

    1. I know what you mean about the pasta absorbing the liquid. I like mine thick but still juicy, which is hard to achieve for more than a minute or two!

  24. “if the stars make you drool, just like pasta fazool, that’s amore” as Dean Martin famously reminded us. This dish is real cucina povora. You can also make it with potatoes in addition to the beans. It sounds rather stodgy carb-laden but don’t let that pit you off. This is comfort food and, like most cucina povera dishes is truly decilicious. Let me tell a personal story in which pasta fagioli features. A few years ago my wife and I were in Naples. I persuaded her to explore the back streets near our hotel although she was convinced there would be nothing of interest. It took just a few minutes to come upon a queue of people outside an entirely unassuming building but my ‘nose’ for such things told me this was important. We had come upon Nunella a Naples institution known only to the locals and not mentioned in any guides. A little restaurant with a fixed menu that changes daily so popular that by the time we had sat the place was packed and the queue outside was prepared to wait. The owner insisted I let him select the dishes. Ten minutes later, he returned with about 6 plates arranged along both arms four of which went to other tables. one plate was placed before my wife leaving the ladt in the crock of his arm. That the whole room was now watching our table should have forewarned me. With a broad smile he bent his arm and then flexed it sharply sending the plate spinning in the air. As it came down having somersaulted at least three times he caught and flipped it rapidly onto the table in front of me to huge applause. The dish was fazool with potatoes and, yes, it was enough to make you drool.

  25. This is very similar to mamma’s recipe. Yes! I do remember it very thick and it was the meal. You could say our cucina was povera but we were well fed. My folks didn’t waste anything and we used up every bit of food. I like your rustic version of the dish — beautiful memories of mamma’s food.

    1. Can I use some of the water I simmered the beans in to add back into pot as part of the broth or water?

  26. My grandpa which is from Italy made this with kidney beans fat back Rosemary elbow noodles. He would cut up fat back very very very small and then cut the Rosemary into the fat back and fry it then add broth or water then add some kidney beans. Some beans he would mash the meat out of beans and then add noodles. THE BEST SOUP I’ve ever had. Cant seem to find this recipe anywhere. Have you ever heard of this recipe?? Thank you

    1. Well, it sounds to me like your grandpa’s own variation on pasta e fagioli. There are so many versions of this dish—probably at least one per Italian household!

  27. I add my pasta to the soup base when it’s just about cooked, stir vigorously, bring back to simmer then take off the heat, cover and leave for 5-10 minutes. No sticking then. Although I do find that the thinner the soup base then the more the chilli bites.

  28. I add my pasta to the soup base when it’s just about cooked, stir vigorously, bring back to simmer then take off the heat, cover and leave for 5-10 minutes. No sticking then. Although I do find that the thinnedr the soup base then the more the chilli bites.

    1. I like the idea. Will try it next time—although personally I’ve got to have my pasta e fagioli *thick*. It’s the one way I’ll eat it.

    1. That depends on how ‘soupy’ you like your pasta e fagioli, but at a minimum enough to cover all the ingredients by a good 5cm/2in I’d say, as the pasta will absorb quite a bit of liquid as it cooks. Add more liquid if you see things are drying out.

  29. Mmm…you’re makin’ me feel like an old man! I’m gonna get the beans & search for the right pasta tomorrow. There’s a really pretty pasta Mafalde at Trader Joes, I could break it into pieces. Also, the Olive Garden recipe…vergonata! I’ve played around with some Italian things & called it Italian Chili, which was at least honest.

    PS — loving this website! I was looking for the string beans in tomato sauce for Thanksgiving, now I’m hooked!!

  30. Oooooooo, this sounds so wonderful. When you say 1 peperoncino, do you mean a hot chili pepper? Or a sweet pepper? Just curious. I shall be making this as soon as I can get some pancetta and the ditali. Thanks for sharing!!!!

    1. Thanks, Chris! A peperoncino is a small dried red chili pepper. It’s very much like the Mexican chile de árbol, if you’re familiar with that. Enjoy!

      1. Ah, okay. I think I can get those at our supermarket. Can’t wait to make it. Tony’s aunt used to make pasta fagioli of sorts, but it was definitely a shortcut. This recipe looks fantastic.

        1. Another substitute would be red pepper flakes, which you can find just about everywhere these days.

          If you can’t find them, don’t sweat it. It’s an optional ingredient. Most times I make pasta e fagioli I don’t use it. In fact, I’d say most people don’t—it’s just for those times when you feel like a little ‘kick’ to the dish.

          1. Well, now, that makes it even easier. I have red pepper flakes in the house, and often use them (especially in broccoli rabe!). We’re starting to see long hot peppers at the local farm stands, but they are green ones so not too hot. One of those could be tasty in this dish too without giving it too much kick. Hmmmm…..

            Now I REALLY can’t wait to make this dish….and we won’t even talk about Tony’s reminders. Thank you so much for your clarification.

  31. In our family we always had this every Fri during lent. Meatless of course but we used kidney beans some smashed some whole. On side we pushed out 5 in circles of dough fried till golden drained on paper towels with sprinkle of salt . Loved Fri.nights

  32. I’ve been the victim of some of those ‘bad’ recipes. I knew I would find the ‘true’ recipe from Frank. Thanks so much. I’ve got some canned cannellini beans and also have the ditali so I’ll be diving into this tonight.

  33. We had this every Friday growing up (so I just dated myself). I was shocked to go to a certain chain restaurant and see meat in the recipe! This is just lovely in its own simplicity.

  34. This is true Italian comfort food. This and its cousin, pasta e ceci, are wintertime favorites in our household. Based on all of the comments, you definitely struck a chord with this one, Frank!

  35. “Victim of its own success” unfortunately applies to a number of Italian dishes. I appreciate your call for boundaries and balance in this and other dishes.

  36. The original roman recipe is without rosemary and garlic ( we use them for “pasta e ceci” pasta and chickpeas ) , use always lardon ( but now no-fat cousine esclude it ) and onion !

      1. Dear Frank ask me all what you need about roman and abruzzese cousin ! I am a public manager 5 days and an home cook on week-ened ! i am on facebook ! Have a nice day Maurizio

  37. Thanks, all, for the kind comments! This is one of my favorites, too, with or without meat.

    And yes, certainly,a cheese rind would give it even more delicious flavor! I would just cut it into smallish pieces since this soup does not cook for that long…

    @Bob, thanks for the message. Glad you're enjoying the blog and welcome! Maybe this can help you recreate the flavors when you get back to the States!

  38. this is a good example of a soup that you could add the heel of a Parmesan rind to, while cooking. Don't you think? (I save the heels in my freezer for soup-like opportunities!). I agree, this is delightful but so often made horribly!

  39. This is one of my favorite dishes my great grandmother used to make. She always made it vegetarian and with pinto beans.

    For the longest time I never saw it anywhere outside of home, until it gained popularity in chain restaurants in the late 90's…like you said, those restaurant versions are nowhere near to what it should be!

    Thanks you for sharing…I still try to replicate my grandmother's but it's very difficult.

  40. Ok, I am super excited because this (minis the pancetta) is more or less how I make it. So I was being all authentic hmmm? yay! *pats self on back*

  41. Our landlord here in Monte di Procida (suburb of Napoli) makes it just like your recipe. It is wonderful! I will miss his cooking when we return the states next fall. Just discovered your blog today — it's great. Love Italian food, love to eat it, love to cook it.

  42. You won't believe it, but for years I've been singing “That's amore”, by Dean Martin, without understanding what the heck he was saying… now I know he said pasta fazool!!! Thanks!

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