Dutch Oven Pasta Fagioli

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My Dutch oven pasta fagioli is one of my favorite soup recipes. This hearty Italian soup recipe is a filling and nutritious bowl of soup, combining vegetables and tomatoes with short cavatelli pasta and a combination of cannellini and red kidney beans to thicken the soup.

Dutch Oven Pasta Fagioli

This best pasta fagioli recipe is packed with lots of flavor and is a real hit over the cooler months of fall and winter. At this time of year we all want that feeling of cozy warmth from our food, and this wholesome soup is the perfect bowl of comfort food.

My traditional Italian pasta fagioli recipe is a great make ahead dinner option, as with most soup recipes it does taste better if it has time to sit, as the flavors meld together and intensify.

The addition of pasta and beans means this is a hearty Italian soup, so I tend to keep any additional sides on the simple side. Serve it with some crackers as I’ve done here, or some crusty bread or warm garlic bread.

Pasta Fagioli ingredients

• BUTTER: I always use butter to sauté the vegetables as it adds great flavor. You could also use olive oil.
• BASE VEGETABLES: I always use a combination of yellow onion, carrot and celery when making pasta fagioli, as they add great flavor for the base of the soup.
• GARLIC: for the best flavor I always use freshly minced garlic. You can use garlic paste or frozen garlic in a pinch.
• TOMATOES: I use a 15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes.
• BEANS: I use 15 ounce cans of both cannellini beans and red kidney beans in this recipe.
• PASTA: I like to use cavatelli pasta which is a small pasta shape.
• SEASONING: I season the soup with Italian seasoning and a little salt and black pepper.
• BROTH: I like to use chicken broth as it has great depth of flavor, along with some extra water.
• SPINACH: I add some finely shredded spinach leaves to the soup just before serving.

How to make Pasta Fagioli in Dutch Oven

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven.

Stir in the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

Cook until the vegetables are tender.

Add the crushed tomatoes, beans, pasta, Italian seasoning, chicken broth and water.

Stir to mix.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes.

When the cook time is up, stir in the spinach and continue cooking another 5 to 10 minutes until the spinach is wilted.

Flavor variations

• Vegetables – you can add in other vegetables to this soup if you wish, try green beans, bell peppers, courgettes, leeks, asparagus or green peas.
• Beans – I’ve used cannellini beans and red kidney beans, but you can use any variety of bean, try borlotti, navy or even chickpeas.
• Pasta – I prefer to use a short cut pasta shape, like cavatelli, but you could also try stellette, farfalline or orzo. Or even substitute with a larger pasta.
• Broth – I like to use chicken broth as it has a better depth of flavor but you could also use vegetable broth.
• Leafy Greens – I’ve used spinach, but you could swap for kale, cavolo nero, or chard.
• Fresh Herbs – add a garnish of freshly chopped herbs, like basil or parsley, just before serving.
• Cheese – add a garnish of some finely shredded Parmesan cheese before serving.

Serving suggestion

Serve the soup with crackers as I’ve done here, or some crusty bread, or warm garlic bread. Or why not try some of these great alternatives, my Angel Biscuits, Homemade Cornbread, or Sprite Biscuits.

This hearty soup is packed full of delicious veggies, but if you’d like to add a little more vegetables on the side, I’d suggest a crunchy green salad, or try my Roasted Green Beans, Sheet Pan Roasted Broccoli, or Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus.

Recipe hints & tips

• Always take time to taste and properly season the soup. Proper seasoning will make all the difference to the finished dish.
• If the soup is looking too thick, thin it down with a little extra chicken broth or a splash of water.
• Soup is a great make ahead dish, make it up the day before then cool and store in the refrigerator overnight. As with most soups, they taste even better the next day once all the flavors have had a chance to meld together.

FAQs

Other hearty soup recipes for you to enjoy here at When is Dinner

• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
• Ground Beef Vegetable Soup
• Black Eyed Pea Soup
• Ham & White Bean Soup
• Chicken & Rice Soup
• Lasagna Soup
• Crock Pot Potato Soup