Vegetarian Pasta fa*gioli (2024)

Published: Jul 13, 2016 · Updated: Jul 25, 2019

Vegetarian pasta fa*gioli is a simple, rustic Italian bean and pasta soup that’s extremely easy to make and can be on the table in just about 30 minutes. What’s fabulous about pasta e fa*gioli is that it’s like two recipes in one – add a bit more stock for a soup and a bit less for a pasta dish!

Just like with caponata, the eggplant antipasto recipe I recently posted on the blog, you’d be hard pressed to find just one master recipe for pasta e fa*gioli.

There are lots of regional variations – some tomato-based, others stock-based; some thin, others thick; some vegetarian, others include pancetta or parmesan. The only thing you can be sure about is that you need pasta and beans.

Vegetarian pasta fa*gioli is the kind of dish you can make year-round. As with all soups, it’s warm, comforting and hearty in the winter, but with the addition of seasonal veggies like zucchini and fresh tomato you’ve got yourself a delicious, refreshing, vitamin-packed summer soup that makes a great vegan main dish just served with a bit of crusty bread.

While the idea of a hot soup in the summer might not sound appealing, if you’ve got a vegetable garden, soup is an easy no-fuss way to use what’s ripe at the moment.

Last year the basil in my urban garden went a little wild and I used it not only to make pesto, but also soupe au pistou, which is a French summertime pasta-bean soup and very similar to pasta e fa*gioli but with the addition of a delicious pesto-like sauce.

But if you still prefer cold soups in the summertime, don’t worry, you’ll find a ton here on the blog! And if you're a fan hearty of Italian soups, you'll love my version of vegan white bean and kale soup with a secret ingredient in place of the Parmesan cheese!

This vegetarian pasta fa*gioli recipe makes enough to feed four and it’s best if you eat it as soon as it’s prepared. Once you add the pasta, the soup will start to thicken up and the pasta could get mushy.

So if you’re not sure that you’ll be able to finish it in one sitting, store the pasta separately from the soup until you’re ready to serve. You can also freeze the soup without the pasta and simply cook up some fresh pasta when you’re ready for it.

Wanna see how easy Vegetarian Pasta fa*gioli is to make? Watch the video!

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Vegetarian pasta fa*gioli is a simple, rustic Italian bean and pasta soup that’s extremely easy to make and can be on the table in just about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
Half an onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 zucchini, sliced
½ teaspoon dried basil
780 gram can (28 oz) of whole tomatoes
570 gram jar (20 oz) of white beans
125 grams (4.5 oz) baby spinach
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste
200 grams (7 oz) short pasta

Instructions

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil, onion, carrot and celery. Fry for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and transparent.
Add the garlic and fry until soft, then add the zucchini and basil. Fry for another couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomatoes and their juice and use your spoon to break them into smaller pieces.
Add the beans and their liquid, spinach, vegetable stock, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile in a separate pot, cook the the pasta until al dente. Drain and add the pasta to the soup. Serve immediately.

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« Caponata: Eggplant Antipasto

Easy Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes and Niçoise Salad »

Reader Interactions

Comments

Angie - WhippedGreenGirl says
July 13, 2016 at 11:08 pm
Looks super yummy Melissa! I got loads of veggies right now too- perfect post for this time of year 😉 Pinning it now
Reply
- Melissa says
  July 14, 2016 at 8:27 am
  Thanks Angie, let me know if you try it!
  Reply
- Trisha says
  January 21, 2018 at 6:30 pm
  How many servings does this make? We are 5 people I’m thinking I might have to double the recipe
  Reply
  - Melissa says
    See Also
    Chez Ma Tante’s Pancakes Recipe Easy New York-Style Bagel Recipe - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking Southern Tomato Pie Recipe (Truly the Best!) - Oh Sweet Basil Quick and Easy Ceviche
    January 23, 2018 at 9:47 am
    It serves 4
    Reply
Christine says
August 23, 2016 at 11:51 pm
How much garlic do you use....it's not in the ingredients list but is in the directions
Reply
- Melissa says
  August 26, 2016 at 9:51 pm
  Thanks for catching that, I've corrected the recipe. Two cloves, minced.
  Reply
Luz says
September 04, 2016 at 8:39 pm
My husband loves all kinds of soups. I love this particular recepie. So easy and not as much work. I will be looking out for more soup recepies.
Thank you
Lucie
Reply
- Melissa says
  September 04, 2016 at 10:06 pm
  Thank you Lucie!
  Reply
Jeanne says
September 26, 2016 at 12:18 am
I just made this delightful pasta fa*gioli and was wondering if you have put together the nutritional values for the ingredients as I'm watching calories and protein. Would love to hear from you........thanks!!!
Reply
- Melissa says
  September 28, 2016 at 8:23 am
  Hi Jeanne, I'm happy you enjoyed the recipe. Usually when you see nutritional values on a recipe the blogger has used an app to calculate it. I haven't yet found an app that I think calculates accurately so for that reason I don't include nutritional information. I'd rather not say anything than give incorrect information! This website has some links to online nutrition calculators that you could try.
  Reply
trysh says
October 25, 2016 at 10:30 pm
1carrot 1 celery stalk? Is the for 1 person?
Reply
- Melissa says
  October 27, 2016 at 11:34 am
  Serves 4
  Reply
Libby says
October 30, 2016 at 6:15 pm
Does this freeze well?
Reply
- Melissa says
  November 01, 2016 at 12:20 pm
  I´ve never tried freezing it but I don´t imagine it would be a problem. It´s similar to a minestrone and google says you can freeze that so I´d follow the same instructions.
  Reply
Trish says
December 14, 2016 at 12:03 am
Very nice! Made this this evening and it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. We have enough for tomorrow night and we're very happy about it! Simple, easy, and quick to pull together. Thanks for a great soup for a cold night! Definitely making this many times over.
Reply
See Also
Lemon Blueberry Scones with Cornmeal
- Melissa says
  December 14, 2016 at 12:06 pm
  Great, thanks Trish. So glad you enjoyed it!
  Reply
Vedge says
April 20, 2017 at 12:29 am
Just made this for dinner. I doubled the zucchini since I just bought a bag of slightly bruised zucchini for 99¢ on the discount produce rack. I didn't have spinach, so I omitted that. This turned out really well! Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Reply
- Melissa says
  April 24, 2017 at 10:18 am
  Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
  Reply
Damaris says
July 06, 2017 at 4:49 pm
Thanks for the recipe I will be trying it tonight.
Reply
Taylor Ewers says
July 31, 2017 at 1:24 am
Can you put it in a crock pot ?
Reply
- Melissa says
  August 01, 2017 at 9:48 am
  Probably. I don´t have one so I´ve never tried but I imagine it´s like any other soup in a slow cooker.
  Reply
Amy Guinn says
August 17, 2017 at 7:06 pm
How about doing this in a crockpot? Of course cook pasta separate as well and wait ti add the spinach in till right before serving.
Reply
- Melissa says
  August 20, 2017 at 5:23 pm
  I don't have a crock pot so I've never tried but it the way you suggest sounds like it would work fine!
  Reply
stephanie says
October 07, 2017 at 8:54 pm
so yummy! i added broccoli and cauliflower, as well as mushrooms and vegan ground beef !!
Reply
Angel says
March 14, 2018 at 1:08 am
Turned out great! Thank you.
Reply
Tanya Lovett says
April 15, 2018 at 11:08 pm
This dish was delicious!
Reply
Hannah says
July 04, 2018 at 2:41 am
Can I keep in the fridge for a couple days?
Reply
- Melissa says
  July 06, 2018 at 9:01 am
  Yes, but I recommend keeping the pasta separate from the soup or else it will suck up all the broth.
  Reply
Tins says
October 25, 2018 at 8:25 am
Are these vegan Pasta I can't find vegan pasta anywhere help me please
Reply
- Angie says
  November 10, 2018 at 9:47 am
  Most Italian pasta is vegan. Just semolina. Look in the pasta isle for 100 percent semolina.
  Reply
Mary says
December 21, 2018 at 9:11 pm
This is seriously delicious soup. I always double it because we like to have lots of extras. I keep the pasta and the soup separate so we can store it. It is perfect just the way it is too! So yummy! Thank you!
Reply
Yang says
February 20, 2019 at 12:41 am
The pasta fa*gioli looks delicious! The colors on it look really pretty, but to add a beautiful dark green to it, can I add broccoli to the mix? My family has only been having lots of meat and junk food recently, and I'm greatly concerned about their health. This healthy recipe would surely make them crave a bowl or two.
Reply
Sue says
March 31, 2019 at 10:32 pm
We just made this. It is delicious and so easy! We had some rose wine left over so we put that in as well. We'll be making this for years to come
Thank you for this recipe.
Reply
Rachel Groesser says
April 30, 2019 at 12:39 am
This recipe came out perfect! Made it tonight and it was delicious. Probably my new favorite soup recipe. Thanks!
Reply
Rachel says
November 15, 2019 at 9:08 pm
Love love this recipe! It's a staple in my meals list now. Thank you!
Reply
Patricia says
January 17, 2020 at 1:09 am
HI Melissa
I made the soup tonight for dinner. It was better than I expected, delicious! I even made the beans from scratch. That was easy too I just had to make sure I started a couple of hours sooner. I’m glad I made double the recipe so I have plenty leftover. Thank you for an excellent recipe, I will be making this soup often.
Reply
Maggie Crescenza says
December 22, 2021 at 12:50 pm
I just love this recipe. Hearty and just delicious. I make it very often
Reply
Ashley says
November 18, 2022 at 9:12 pm
I have made this recipe again and again. It is my family’s favorite! Thank you for sharing it
Reply

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