Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe
This pasta fagioli soup is a hug in a bowl! I’ve updated this recipe to add more protein – adding 4 ounces of lean beef (made into meatballs) makes this bowl of soup 5 Weight Watchers points AND a whopping 43 grams of protein. So good I plan on eating this for breakfast too.
For whatever reason I’ve never made this soup at home, probably because I may have mentioned it to my late husband once upon a time, and the thought of having beans in a soup probably turned him off. He didn’t even like beans in chili!
Is pasta fagioli recipe easy?
Absolutely! All you need is a blender or stick blender to blend the beans and tomatoes, and the rest of the ingredients simply simmer on the stove for 20 minutes.
Ingredients needed for pasta fagioli:
- canned tomatoes (I prefer fire roasted tomatoes, but they can be up to $1 or more per can, so you can use regular canned tomatoes if you like
- cannellini beans (or any white bean you prefer)
- pinto beans (this was my addition and I loved them in this soup!
- canned tomato pasta (I think this adds a richness to the soup)
- ditalini pasta (my grocery store sells ditalini pasta as “salad macaroni” – the photo below is what it looks like, but any style pasta works!
- updated: I added beef to this recipe to bump up the protein
How do you keep pasta in soup delicious?
Simply cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup when reheating or serving. Once I drain the pasta, I spray with avocado oil spray and toss to coat, then store in an airtight container or a ziplock bag. No need to even reheat the pasta, simply add to your bowl from the refrigerator, and once you pour the hot soup on top of the noodles, they will heat through.
When I make the meatballs, I only cook them about 75% of the way. When I reheat the soup, I add the meatballs to the soup and that will continue the cooking process.
Can you freeze pasta fagioli?
Place two cups (which is one serving) of the soup (WITHOUT the pasta) in a quart size ziplock bag, then lie flat in the fridge for up to three months. To serve, simply cook pasta to add to the soup when you defrost the soup.
Pasta Fagioli
This recipe was adapted from Skinny Taste. I left out the onions (feel free to add them!) added more carrots, doubled the amount of tomatoes and added tomato paste for a rich, delicious soup. The base of the soup is only 1 WW point, and since we keep the cooked noodles separately, you can decide how much to add to your bowl (1/2 cup is additional 3 points, 1 cup is 6 additional points). UPDATE: I decided to add more protein so added beef to make mini meatballs.
Ingredients
- For the Soup:
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil spray
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 2 cups carrots, chopped
- 15 oz can cannellini beans (not drained)
- 15 oz can pinto beans (drained)
- 28 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- For the Pasta:
- 8 oz dried ditalini pasta (or pasta of choice)
- For the Mini Meatballs (makes 24):
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Optional for serving:
- 1/8 cup part skim mozzarella
Instructions
Cook the Pasta
Cook 8 oz of ditalini pasta according to the package instructions.
Drain and rinse under cold water. Spray lightly with avocado oil spray to prevent sticking.
Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the fridge until ready to serve.
Make the Mini Meatballs
In a medium bowl, combine:
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp crushed red pepper
Mix just until combined—don’t overwork the meat.
Roll into 24 mini meatballs (about 1 heaping tablespoon each).
Spray a skillet with avocado oil spray and cook the meatballs over medium heat until they are browned and cooked about 75% through (about 6-7 minutes).
Remove from heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll finish cooking when added to the hot soup during reheating.
Make the Soup Base
In a large pot, spray avocado oil spray and heat over medium. Add garlic, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5–6 minutes until slightly tender.
Add:
Cannellini beans (with liquid)
Pinto beans (drained)
Fire roasted tomatoes
Italian seasoning
Oregano
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Cayenne pepper (if using)
Chicken broth
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes, until veggies are tender. Let cool, then store in the fridge.
To Serve
Reheat two cups of soup in a pot or microwave-safe bowl. Add 8 mini meatballs per bowl and simmer until meatballs are fully cooked through (about 5 minutes on the stove or microwave in 1-minute intervals until hot). Add ½ to 1 cup cooked pasta to the bowl. Top with ⅛ cup part skim mozzarella, if desired.
Notes
As of the date of this publication, the soup base is only 1 WW point. If you add 1/2 cup cooked pasta, add 3 points. If you add 1 cup cooked pasta, add 5 points. If you add the optional 1/8 cup mozzarella cheese, add 1 point.
My bowl with 2 cups of soup, 1/2 cup cooked pasta, the meatballs and mozzarella cheese is 5 Weight Watchers points. If you count macros: 544 calories, 14 fat, 59 carbs, 11 fiber and 43 grams of protein.
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If you are new here, welcome to My Bizzy Kitchen! I started this blog 16 years ago to document my recipes and daily life, never imagining it would one day become my full-time career. After losing my husband nearly 10 years ago, I navigated the hardest chapter of my life while still finding joy in cooking and sharing my journey.
In December 2020, I took a leap of faith and left my 30-year career as a legal secretary to pursue My Bizzy Kitchen full-time, a decision that changed my life.
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I have to leave in comment on this one because I LOVE this soup!
I don’t think celery so I used more
Carrots and a bit more pinto beans. I also added onions, and went a touch lighter on the Italian seasoning and oregano…. However, super easy to make and just really delicious!!!
Yeah! So glad you liked it Tara! And for the record, pretty much everyone adds onions to my recipes – ha! Hugs.