Italian Pasta Fagioli Soup
Enjoy this hearty pasta fagioli soup with crusty sourdough bread or a sprinkle of Parmesan for a simple, nourishing meal.
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 cup uncooked macaroni (or 2 cups leftover cooked macaroni or other pasta)
- 2 cups fresh shelled broad beans (or 2 cups any type of cooked beans)
- 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1½ cups finely diced onion (this is equivalent to 1 large onion)
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the optional garnish
- 1 handful fresh chopped parsley or basil
- 4 tbsp parmegiano cheese
Instructions
- Shell your fresh beans, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and let them simmer for about 20 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside.
- While the beans are simmering, cook your macaroni until al dente (still a little hard). Drain well, mix with a little live oil to prevent it from sticking together and set aside.
- Melt butter in a pot and sauté the carrots and celery for 5-10 minutes until softened. Season well with unrefined salt and black pepper. Add the onions and garlic and let them cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce to the softened vegetables, together with the cooked broad beans, stock and ½ teaspoon dried oregano. Add some more salt. Increase the heat and let it simmer for just a few minutes until heated through.
- Switch off the heat and stir in the cooked macaroni. Add a little more salt if necessary.
- Serve immediately garnished with a handful of fresh chopped parsley or fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmegiano cheese.
Notes
- Use already cooked or canned beans for a quicker meal.
- You could also use dried broad beans, but remember that they will take much longer to cook to softness than fresh beans.
- This soup can be prepared the day ahead but do not add the pasta until you are ready to serve it or the pasta will get overcooked and mushy.