Pasta e fagioli
75 min · 23 g protein · 319 cals / serving
The Italian-American pasta and bean soup the way restaurants serve it: lean ground beef, two kinds of beans, carrots and celery in a thick, herby tomato broth, with little tube pasta simmered right in the pot. A splash of vinegar at the end wakes the whole thing up.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable juice, tomato-vegetable juice
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 tsp salt, adjust to your broth
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups ditalini (6 oz) pasta, or another small tube pasta
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
To serve
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
Steps
- Brown the beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up, for 6–8 minutes, until no pink remains (160°F). Spoon off any fat.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables soften.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable juice, broth, both beans, the herbs, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down, cover partly and simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Stir in the pasta and simmer 9–11 minutes, stirring often so it does not stick, until it is just tender. Add a splash of water or broth if the soup gets too thick.
- Stir in the vinegar, taste for salt and pepper, and serve with parmesan.
Good to know
How do I keep the pasta from going soft in leftovers?
If you plan on leftovers, cook the pasta separately in salted water and add it to each bowl. The soup itself keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes well without the pasta.
Can I make it without the vegetable juice?
Yes. Use the same amount of broth plus 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. The juice is what gives the restaurant version its savoury, slightly peppery depth, so add a little extra black pepper.
More beans, less pasta?
Add a third can of beans and halve the pasta for a thicker, more traditional Italian bowl. It comes in at about the same score.
Alternatives
Per
- Calories
- 74
- Protein
- (30%)
- 5 g
- Fat
- (21%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (48%)
- 9 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 283 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 2549 kcal goes into the pot and 3745 g of ingredients comes out as about 3450 g of food: 74 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.