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Cozy Classic Pasta e Fagioli Soup with Pancetta

pasta e fagioli soup - featured image
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A warm and comforting Italian bean and pasta soup featuring smoky pancetta and fragrant rosemary, perfect for chilly evenings and quick weeknight meals.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
  • 4 ounces pancetta, diced (or good quality bacon as substitute)
  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 1/2 cups (about 250g) cooked or canned cannellini beans
  • 4 cups (32 fl oz / 950 ml) chicken or vegetable broth (low sodium preferred)
  • 3/4 cup (90g) small pasta such as ditalini or elbow macaroni
  • 1/2 cup (4 fl oz / 120 ml) crushed tomatoes (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
  2. Add diced pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, about 5–7 minutes.
  3. Add chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pancetta. Cook for 6–8 minutes until vegetables soften and onion is translucent.
  4. Stir in minced garlic and 2 fresh rosemary sprigs. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, avoiding browning the garlic.
  5. Pour in 4 cups of broth and add cannellini beans. If using, add crushed tomatoes. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  6. Add 3/4 cup of small pasta to the simmering soup. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and cook until pasta is al dente, about 8–10 minutes.
  7. Remove rosemary sprigs. Season soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  8. Optionally, drizzle with olive oil. Ladle soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Render pancetta slowly for best flavor and texture. Remove rosemary sprigs before serving to avoid gritty texture. If soup is too thick after cooking pasta, add more broth or water to loosen. For freezing, cook pasta separately and add when reheating to maintain texture.

Nutrition

Keywords: pasta e fagioli, pancetta soup, Italian soup, bean soup, rosemary, cozy soup, easy weeknight dinner, comfort food

Find it online: https://evabake.com/cozy-classic-pasta-e-fagioli-soup-with-pancetta-easy-homemade-recipe/