This easy one-pot Vegetarian Pasta Fagioli is a hearty Italian soup filled with pasta, white beans, tomatoes, veggies, broth, and herbs. Ready in under an hour, it's a great meatless meal for any day of the week!
Michelle's Recipe Rundown
Pasta e fagioli means "pasta and beans" in Italian (you might hear it called Pasta Fazool here in America). And this classic soup lives up to its name with plenty of both in every spoonful, along with veggies and a tomatoey broth.
It's one of my go-to recipes when I want a simple and delicious meatless meal that doesn't require a lot of effort. Here's more reasons why you'll love it:
- It's a one-pot meal that's easy to put together and ready in less than an hour.
- It's made with pantry staples and fresh produce that most of us keep on hand, which makes it budget-friendly.
- Cooking the pasta right in the broth gives the soup its thicker consistency.
- Plenty of beans make this soup hearty and filling even though there's no meat...and it's so good, you won't miss it!
Want more vegetable-based soups?
Try my Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cheese Soup, Easy Low-Calorie Cabbage Soup and Creamy Tomato Soup.
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Ingredients & Notes
Here are all of the ingredients you need to make this easy vegetarian pasta e fagioli, along with some notes on preparation and making the best selections.
Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Extra-virgin olive oil - It's more flavorful than regular or light-tasting olive oil, but you can use those if you prefer.
- Onions, carrots, celery and garlic - These aromatics are the flavor base of the soup. Dice the veggies into small pieces and mince the garlic so they'll cook quickly.
- Italian seasoning - I use my homemade Italian seasoning blend. Give it a try, or use your favorite blend.
- Vegetable broth (or stock) - I use Better Than Bouillon seasoned vegetable base (#notsponsored) mixed with water. Use your favorite store-bought or homemade broth. A reduced-sodium variety makes it easier to control the salt.
- Petite diced tomatoes and tomato sauce (canned) - Regular diced tomatoes can be used instead of petite.
- Great Northern beans (canned) - White beans are traditional in pasta fagioli, and these are a medium-sized bean. Rinse and drain, as the liquid can be salty. Or you can use home-cooked beans instead.
- Ditalini pasta - Also called tubetti. Start with dry pasta since we will be cooking it right in the soup.
Optional garnishes: Freshly-grated parmesan cheese and/or chopped fresh parsley or basil can be sprinkled on top of each serving. I always do both. The parsley adds a bit of freshness and color, and the parmesan melts into the soup and is so good!
Substitutions & Variations
- Pasta swaps: small shells, macaroni, orechiette, and orzo (any smaller shape will work).
- Bean swaps: navy beans, cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans), borlotti beans (aka cranberry beans), pinto beans, or chickpeas.
- Want more veggies? Add some chopped spinach at the end and let it wilt into the soup, or add some chopped kale when you add the pasta and beans.
- If you like spicy heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes.
- You can use chicken broth if you prefer the flavor and don't mind that the soup won't be 100% vegetarian.
How to Make Vegetarian Pasta Fagioli
This is a brief overview of the steps. The full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a large pot, sauté the onions, carrots and celery in olive oil until the onions begin to soften.
Add the garlic; sauté for one minute.
Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning; stir to combine. Then increase the heat and bring to a boil.
Add the beans and pasta; stir to combine. Cook at a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
Turn off the heat; let the soup sit for 15 minutes so it will thicken a bit more.
Serve immediately. If desired, top each bowl with freshly shredded parmesan cheese and parsley.
Recipe Tips
- Cooking the pasta in the broth to just al dente and then letting it sit for 15 minutes before serving gives this soup its thicker consistency without overcooking the pasta.
- For extra umami (savory) flavor, add the rind from a small wedge of parmesan cheese when you add the broth and tomatoes (remove it before serving).
- If you prefer a more brothy soup with a thinner consistency, you can either skip the resting step, use more broth, or cook and drain the pasta separately and then add some to each bowl of soup when serving.
- If cooking the pasta separately, you'll still want to simmer the soup for about 8 to 10 minute in order to finish cooking the veggies and to allow the flavors to blend. You can omit the step of letting it sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Storing, Reheating & Freezing
Storing: Once cooled, store any leftover pasta fagioli in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Note that the pasta will continue to absorb some of the broth, so it will get thicker.
Reheating: Reheat leftover soup in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add some vegetable broth to thin it out, if desired. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.
Freezing: I don't recommend freezing this soup as-is because the pasta can get a bit mushy. However, you can make the soup without the pasta and freeze that for up to 3 months. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator before reheating and adding the pasta (you can cook the pasta separately or right in the soup).
Serving Suggestions
This soup is a meal all on its own, so I usually keep things simple and serve it with some crusty bread, homemade Italian bread or homemade garlic bread.
And when I want to stretch it out or just want something more, I'll pair it with a salad. My Italian tossed salad is a favorite; it's very similar to an Olive Garden salad!
I hope you try this Vegetarian Pasta Fagioli recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Italian-Inspired Soup Recipes
If you made this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Vegetarian Pasta Fagioli
Ingredients
For The Soup
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion, about ¼-inch pieces
- ½ cup diced carrots, about ¼-inch pieces
- ½ cup diced celery, about ¼-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth or stock, I use seasoned vegetable based mixed with water; use your favorite broth or stock
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, do not drain (or regular diced tomatoes)
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, I use my Homemade Italian Seasoning
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 ounces dry ditalini pasta, about 1 cup
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Optional Toppings
- freshly-grated parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh parsley or basil
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat (I use a 5-quart pot). Add the onions, carrots and celery; season lightly with salt and pepper (I use ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper). Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic; sauté, stirring frequently, for one minute.
- Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning; stir to combine. Increase the heat and bring to a boil (this will take about 10 minutes).
- Add the beans and ditalini; stir to combine. Reduce the heat slightly and cook at a gentle boil, uncovered and stirring occasionally, just until the ditalini is al dente (use the package directions as a guide for the time, as this can vary by brand; the one I used took 8 minutes). The soup will be slightly thicker at this point.
- Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for 15 minutes. During this time, the pasta will soak up some more of the broth, thickening the soup a bit more without overcooking the pasta. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
- Serve immediately. If desired, top each serving with freshly-grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley or basil.
Notes
- A reduced-sodium broth or stock will give you more control of the salt in the recipe.
- You can use 3½ cups of home-cooked beans instead of canned beans.
- For extra savory flavor, add the rind from a small wedge of parmesan cheese when you add the broth and tomatoes; remove before serving.
- If you prefer a more brothy soup with a thinner consistency, you can either skip the resting step, use more broth, or cook and drain the pasta separately and then add some to each bowl of soup when serving.
- If cooking the pasta separately, you'll still want to simmer the soup for about 8 to 10 minute in order to finish cooking the veggies and to allow the flavors to blend. You can omit the step of letting it sit for 15 minutes before serving.
- Estimated calories shown are for the soup only and don't include any toppings, such as parmesan cheese.
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