January. Time to bust out that soup pot – the biggest one you have – because it’s cold, and dreary, and it’s pitch black at 5pm. When I step off the train from my work commute, all I want is to come home, put on a good pair of sweatpants and some fuzzy socks, and sit on the couch with a big ol’ bowl of soup.
This warm and hearty soup is called Pasta Fagioli, also pronounced Pasta Fazool, which my family has always called it growing up. I have a special love for this simple, easy soup. Most recipes I found online add celery and carrots, maybe even some spinach too. But for me – no way. My mom made this recipe very often when I was kid and not once did she put a carrot in there. Actually, if you want to make things even more simple and don’t feel like chopping anything, you can get away with vegetable broth, marinara sauce, white beans, and pasta – srsly.
This humble soup is the perfect remedy for the winter blues. White beans, tiny pasta noodles, garlic, onion, marinara sauce, fresh parsley, vegetable broth, and a good sprinkle of vegan parmesan on top. Simple ingredients – Papa John’s … wait, NO, god dammit, that came outta nowhere – you get the picture.
HOW TO MAKE PASTA FAGIOLI IN LESS THAN 1 MINUTE:
This humble, hearty, warm soup is the perfect remedy for the winter blues. White beans, tiny pasta noodles, garlic, onion, marinara sauce, fresh parsley, vegetable broth, and a good sprinkle of vegan parmesan on top.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 clove fresh garlic minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup marinara sauce or chopped tomatoes
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 cups ditalini pasta or other small pasta*
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook ditallini pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
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Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, parsley, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Saute until soft and fragrant.
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Add the vegetable broth, tomato sauce, and cannellini beans. Simmer for about 15 minutes so the flavors meld together.
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Serve warm over a small scoop of ditallini pasta.
- Red pepper flakes: we tend to like things spicy and this adds a little kick to the soup. If you don't like spicy food, you can definitely omit the red pepper flakes.
- Ditalini is a small tubular shaped pasta and is traditional for Pasta Fagioli. If you can't find ditalini, feel free to use any other small pasta like Orzo or Elbows
- Serve with a generous sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan. Our favorite brand of vegan parmesan cheese is Go Veggie and we usually have some available. If you can't find Go Veggie, or any other parmesan, you can make homemade parmesan instead.
- You can combine the soup with the ditalini pasta and make this a one pot soup but I find that I like it better when they're kept separate, so the pasta doesn't get too soggy.
