Pasta Fagioli is a hearty Italian pasta and bean soup. Cooked in a perfectly seasoned tomato-based broth, vegetables, and pasta, this wholesome one-pot meal makes a delicious weeknight dinner. Best of all this favorite vegetarian soup is ready in under 30 minutes using this easy Instant Pot recipe.
This recipe is inspired by the Pasta e Fagioli soup that I have enjoyed for years from a small pizzeria near my work. The delicious bean soup loaded with garlic, carrots, creamy potatoes, and the perfectly cooked pasta, served with a crusty baguette to mop up the soup always made a hearty lunch.
Eventually, when my office got relocated to a different town, I started to miss the simple and fresh taste of Pasta e Fagioli. I then started experimenting with this soup at home to realize that it was really easy to make with the same restaurant-like taste, minus the prosciutto. Now, my entire family loves this comforting, healthy soup which is a huge WIN!
My newest version of this recipe of course uses the Instant Pot. Pasta e Fagioli soup gets its creamy texture from the soft cooked potatoes and cannellini beans, carrots, and celery add freshness to this soup.
The convenience of better than bouillon vegetable broth base and jarred marinara sauce helps make this soup in under 30 minutes. The tender ditalini pasta gets cooked along with the remaining ingredients in the Instant Pot makes this a true one-pot dish.
Steps
Here are the easy steps to make tasty Pasta e Fagioli soup:
Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat olive oil. Add carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for a minute. Add potatoes, tomato sauce, cannellini beans, pasta, parsley, crushed red pepper, and vegetable broth. Mix well.
Close Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Pressure Cook/Manual(Hi) for 4 mins followed by Quick Release. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in baby spinach or kale and enjoy hot!
Variations
- You can increase the cannellini beans in the soup by using 2 cans. You can also use one can each of cannellini and red kidney beans
- Add your favorite fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or rosemary
- Stir in parmesan rind in the soup for an extra flavor boost
- Serve with grated parmesan cheese
Tips
- Cut the veggies small so they cook evenly in 4 minutes of pressure cooking.
- Pressure Cook should be half the cook time suggested on the pasta packaging. In this recipe, I used ditalini pasta with 8-minutes stove-top cook time. Hence the pressure cook for this recipe is 4 minutes.
- Soup will continue to thicken as it cools down. If you are not serving right away, add a cup of water or broth when reheating.
Serving
Serve hot with warm sliced baguette. You can also add some parmesan cheese while serving and for a spicy kick sprinkle some red chili flakes on top.
Storing
Soup can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb liquids thicken. To reheat simply add warm water or broth and bring it to a gentle boil.
If making ahead or for a freezer-friendly option, cook the soup without the pasta. Boil pasta separately and add it to the soup when serving.
If you are a soup lover like me check out these delicious and easy Instant Pot soups:
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Chicken Coriander Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
Recipe
Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 celery sticks thinly sliced
- 10 garlic cloves minced
- 1 big russet potato peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 cup tomato sauce marinara sauce
- 1 can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
- 4 cups vegetable broth low sodium
- 2 cups baby spinach or baby kale rough chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat olive oil. Add carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute for a minute.
- Add potatoes, tomato sauce, cannellini beans, pasta, parsley, crushed red pepper, and vegetable broth. Mix well.
- Close Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Pressure Cook/Manual(Hi) for 4 mins followed by Quick Release. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in baby spinach and enjoy hot!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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chezlerevefrancais says
That looks so delicious and comforting. Can’t wait to try this!
Archana says
Thank you! Let me know how you like it
InspiresN says
wonderful recipe and love that it's a one pot meal !
Archana says
Thank you!
PK says
I substituted dried basil and oregano for the dried parsley since I didn't have it, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Turned out great! Loved the orange color of the soup.
Archana says
Thank you for your lovely feedback. I agree the color is just beautiful!!
Swapnika says
looks very appetizing. Cant wait to try it.
Very very dumb question. Should i add the cooked pasta or uncooked pasta?
Archana says
Hi Swapnika, You have to add uncooked pasta, which is what makes this recipe really easy. Let me know how you like it.
Molly says
Your very clear directions and good photographs make this look so easy that I had to try it tonight. Based on what was on hand I had to change it slightly...only had dried beans not canned, no celery so I added some celery seed in hopes of getting that taste and had homemade marinara. Going to put a loaf of garlic bread in the oven and expect to have a feast for dinner. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Archana says
Thank you Molly! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. I should have probably mentioned to increase the cook time for dried beans. I love all your adaptations.
Rashmi says
Hi Archana, I’m a big fan of your receipe. I was planning to make this soup with swanson vegetable broth but see that you are using better than boullion broth. Is there any differences in the brand?Would the brand name make a difference?
Archana says
I have not tried Swanson but should not make a big difference. Enjoy
Jieun says
I finally bought an Instant Pot, and this was the first recipe I cooked. It was DELICIOUS! My husband and I polished off 2 bowls, and my kids enjoyed it, too. I made 2 changes; just added onion and a bay leaf.
Archana says
Hi Jieun, Congratulations on your new Instant Pot. I am so happy that you chose my recipe to be your first one. Love the idea of adding onion and bayleaf.
Lyndsay says
This was our first time using an Instant Pot and it was an ... experience! We got ours as a gift but it had been opened and there were no instructions! However the soup came out absolutely beautifully after struggling with the instant pot!
A few changes I would recommend for others are to add 1/2 an onion to the sauté process and add a substantial veggie. I love zucchini in this soup personally. I also want to try it with half the pasta since I have a mini instant pot and this was slightly more than 2/3 full. The broth all ended up soaking into the pasta overnight but it’s sooo yummy!
The red pepper flakes are critical to the success of this dish in my opinion, I love a little kick! Since there aren’t a ton of spices in this dish and the cook time is short they add a lot to the flavor.
The 2 of us have enough leftovers for 2 lunches!!
Roma Bhansali says
is there a way to avoid to use tomato sauce or the canned tomatoes in all the soup recipes? What would be your general guidance?
Archana says
I love POMI brand tomatoes that come in a carton. But feel free to use fresh tomatoes.
Princy says
So simple, quick , hearty and delicious soup for the weekdays . My family loved it, kids went for seconds 🙂
Melissa says
Love this recipe! Super easy, quick & delicious. Highly recommend!!