I don’t know about you but I’m still seeking out comfort foods, especially soup. On a rainy, dreary April day this white pasta fagioli is just what you need!
It’s nice to make a big pot and have it ready to heat up for lunch during the week, it’s so comforting and I know we can all use some comfort right now.
Let’s talk about the white version of pasta fagioli or “pasta fazool”which I grew up calling it. You won’t find any tomatoes in this version at all and although I love the tomatoey version, the white is hands down my absolute favorite!
There’s something about the smokey bacon flavor that goes so well with the beans, garlic, celery and onions, ( yes I use bacon). You could use pancetta if you like, but I prefer using bacon.
No elaborate ingredients go into this dish, in fact probably have some of the pantry items already, boxed stock, pasta and cannellini beans as well as celery, grated cheese, onions and garlic, staples you might have in your fridge.
This actually takes no time at all to make, before you know it you’ll be enjoying a hot steamy bowl right in front of you, with some crusty bread I hope!
It’s so satisfying and it has that feel good flavor, I hope you find comfort in every bite!
- 4 slices smokey bacon, medium dice
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- ½ white onion, diced
- 4 chopped garlic cloves
- 1 large can cannellini beans, 1 lb. 13 oz or 2 regular sized cans, drain half of the liquid
- ½ lb. of ditalini pasta or something similar that size
- a handful chopped parsley
- a generous handful of grated parmesan cheese
- chicken stock in a box, or homemade if you have it, not quite a whole quart or depending on desired thickness
- a pinch of red pepper flakes to taste
- black pepper and salt to taste
- olive oil
- Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a heavy pot to cover.
- Cook the diced bacon until it gets slightly, crispy golden.
- If it's too greasy, remove and drain on paper towel, wipe out pan and add more olive oil and return the cooked bacon.
- Toss in the the garlic, onion and celery, cook til it softens, add in your red pepper flakes to taste (optional).
- Throw in the beans with the remaining liquid in the cans.
- Stir well, then pour in the chicken stock.
- Get it to a boil then simmer it for 15 to 20 minutes, it should thicken to the right consistency on its own, if it doesn't thicken enough I take my immersion blender and do a quick blitz on the side, not too much, just enough to puree some of the beans to act as a thickener.
- In the meantime boil the pasta on the side, a’dente then drain it.
- Turn off heat when soup is finished, add a big handful of grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
- Add a little bit of the pasta, reserving most of it for your individual bowls, this way the pasta won't blow up in the hot soup and you can take as much as you want for your bowl.
- Taste for seasoning on everything.
- Ladle into bowls adding a drizzle of olive oil, more cheese, black and red pepper.
- Enjoy!
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I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
I traditionally make the red version with left over sauce and meats. My husband has an acid issue at times, so I looked up a white version. This was absolute deliciousness. I fried the bacon crispy, and followed the rest of the directions. Ensure you salt your pasta. Add fresh grated cheese per directions and more after pasta. It didn’t need additional salt. Fresh parsley is a must as well as toast points or garlic bread. Thank you!!
So glad you liked it Renee!
Darn it. I followed exactly but it just didn’t do it for us for some reason. Oh well. Love your site and your photos are truly outstanding. Never had an issue with a recipe before but maybe it was just an off day for us.
This soup is exceptional – I love the tip of adding the pasta separately on serving. It preserves the texture and is a game changer!
So glad you liked it Karen!
Very nice, Marie! I generally only add a bit of tomato to my pasta e fagioli, but I don’t think I’ve ever left them out altogether. I’m going to give it go. Looks fabulous!
We recently moved from living on the Face of the Sun Florida to the cool north Georgia mountians. We’ve had more rainy, cool days here than sunshine, so this sounds lovely for a quick and easy dinner one night soon.