Pasta Fagioli Soup
My husband enjoys my version of this soup so much, he stopped ordering it at restaurants. He’d rather savor the version we can have at home. It’s so easy to make, yet hearty enough to be a full dinner. —Brenda Thomas, Springfield, Missouri
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed, crumbled
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups water
- 1 can (15-1/2 ounces) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, cut as desired
- 5 teaspoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Reviews
I doubled the recipe based on other reviews. I didn't have a problem with it not having enough liquid. It was good, but bland for us as written. I added some Italian seasoning and used hot sausage, but it still needed more oomph.
I made this as stated and it was dry. Pasta e Fagioli literally means pasta and beans. Traditionally it's made without meat since it was a peasant's dish and the Italian people usually had cheaper items on hand. A small pasta, cannellini beans, whole peeled tomatoes, carrots, a parmesan rind or grated parm, garlic, onions and kale or spinach, basil, possibly bay leaves and pasta water or broth if they had it. All that said, this was a good attempt at making an Americanized version but there wasn't enough broth for it to turn out as a soup. I have added meat to mine before as it adds a different level of flavor. Please don't be offended in any way by my comment. It's meant to inform only.
@Faith couple of questions: did you not have any more broth to add or what happened to your water supply? when making soup one must stir and taste occasionally, and add as necessary I.e. seasonings etc. And in this case you're cooking dry pasta in the soup and maybe not enough liquid!
I made this tonight EXACTLY using your directions. There was very little liquid when I finished so it wasn’t like a soup but meat, noodles, beans. It was very tasty but it was not a soup.
I've made this recipe "as is" ( just some Italian seasoning ) many times and we've always enjoyed it. That said, the last time I made it I had a container of Trader Joe's Mirepoix that I needed to use, so in it went. And, I only had hot Italian pork sausage, so in it went. Had cannellini beans not Navy, so in they went. Then I added a second can of the chicken broth, some Italian seasoning and the rest of the ingredients called for ( eliminated the onion because there seemed like enough in the Mirepoix ). Honestly, it was delicious. I might just continue with my "kitchen clean-up version" -- lol.
Made the soup last week. Substituted sweet Italian sausage for the turkey. Very good. Even hubby liked it!
Loved it and it was so easy to make!
I have made this soup many times and love it. I do cut the pasta in half and it is still a very substantial soup!
Delicious! It is a very light soup. I regret not making a double batch as there were no leftovers.
Raves from everyone I serve this soup to. It's delicious and easy to prepare. I've made it exactly to the recipe and it's terrific. But I personalize it by using Italian Sweet Sausage and adding 1 teaspoon of basil and a few sprinkles of Italian seasoning. I would recommend maybe doubling the chicken broth, especially if you are making enough to have leftovers. So, so good. I've made this several times and it's a winner every time! Have a small bowl left in the refrigerator right now!