Pasta e Fagioli

Method

1. Render the pancetta. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook for 5 minutes until crispy and the fat has rendered.

2. Sauté the vegetables. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 6–8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

3. Mash half the beans. In a bowl, mash one can of beans with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth. Add the mashed beans and whole beans to the pot.

4. Add the liquid. Pour in crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Add rosemary sprigs and Parmesan rind. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the flavors meld and the broth thickens.

5. Cook the pasta in the soup for the last 10 minutes (or cook separately and add). The pasta should be al dente — it continues to absorb liquid.

6. Remove the rosemary and Parmesan rind. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan and a generous drizzle of your best olive oil.

Equipment

• Dutch oven or large pot Recommended: Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven · Also good: Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• Potato masher or fork Recommended: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Masher
• Wooden spoon Recommended: Riveira Olive Wood Cooking Spoons Set

Chef Notes

• The most important thing: Mash half the beans before adding them to the soup. The mashed beans dissolve into the broth and thicken it naturally — no cream, no roux. This is how Italian grandmothers make thick, creamy bean soup without any dairy.
• The Parmesan rind is a secret weapon. It melts slowly into the broth, adding umami depth and a silky richness. Save your rinds in the freezer for soups like this.
• Cook the pasta separately or directly in the soup. Cooking in the soup makes it thicker (the pasta starch thickens the broth) but the pasta absorbs liquid as it sits. If making ahead, cook pasta separately and add when serving.
• Pancetta renders slowly and provides the fat base for sautéing the vegetables. If using bacon, the smokiness adds a different but equally good dimension.
• This is Italian comfort food — thick, hearty, and deeply savory. It should be thick enough to eat with a fork, not a spoon.

Common Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitution	Notes
Cannellini beans	Borlotti (cranberry) beans	Traditional in some regions
Pancetta	Bacon or omit for vegetarian	Bacon adds smokiness
Ditalini	Any small pasta (orzo, elbows)	Needs to fit on a spoon
Chicken broth	Vegetable broth	For vegetarian version
Parmesan rind	1 tbsp miso paste	Different umami source

What You're Practicing

Pasta e fagioli teaches you bean-thickened soup — using mashed starchy beans to create body and creaminess without dairy or roux. This technique is used across Italian, Portuguese, and Latin American cooking for thick, satisfying soups. Visit Techniques for more on soup building.

You're also learning the Italian soffritto — the slow-cooked base of onion, celery, and carrot that forms the flavor foundation of soups, stews, and braises. Soffritto is to Italian cooking what mirepoix is to French. Explore more at Techniques.