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Italian Bean Soup with Fresh Pasta
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This is not your typical Italian bean and pasta soup. It’s a simplified version of a hearty, rustic zuppa we tasted at Trattoria dai Mugnai in Monteveglio, a village outside of Bologna. Short, wide ribbons of fresh pasta float dumpling-like in a creamy bean puree subtly flavored with garlic and fresh herbs. If you have a piece of Parmesan rind, simmer it with the beans; it releases savory flavors into the broth. For weeknight ease, we use canned Roman beans (also known as borlotti beans or cranberry beans). If you cannot find canned Roman beans, pintos, which have a similar color and texture, are a fine substitute. If you own an immersion blender, you can use it to puree the beans directly in the saucepan without first cooling the mixture for 10 minutes. Whichever type of blender you use, if you added a piece of Parmesan rind to the pot, remember to remove it before pureeing.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t use dried pasta for this soup, as it will not cook properly. Fresh pasta is key. Look for wide, ribbon-like noodles such as pappardelle, tagliatelle or fettuccine and cut them into 2-inch lengths before use. If you can find sheets of fresh pasta, they work nicely, too—simply cut them into rough 2-inch squares. Don’t puree the beans until completely smooth; leave them with some texture.
40 minutes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 15½-ounce cans Roman beans (see headnote), rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or sage
1 piece Parmesan rind (optional), plus finely grated Parmesan, to serve
8-9 ounce package fresh pappardelle, tagliatelle or fettuccine (see note), cut into 2-inch lengths
Ingredients
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2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
-
1
medium yellow onion, chopped
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
-
2
tablespoons tomato paste
-
2
medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
-
2
15½-ounce cans Roman beans (see headnote), rinsed and drained
-
2
teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or sage
-
1
piece Parmesan rind (optional), plus finely grated Parmesan, to serve
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8-9
ounce package fresh pappardelle, tagliatelle or fettuccine (see note), cut into 2-inch lengths
Directions
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01In a large saucepan over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and begins to stick to the pan, about 3 minutes.
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02Add the beans, rosemary, Parmesan rind (if using), 5 cups water, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft enough to be easily mashed with a fork, about 10 minutes.
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03Off heat, remove and discard the Parmesan rind (if used); let cool for about 10 minutes. Using a blender and working in 2 batches to avoid overfilling the jar, pulse the bean mixture until creamy but not completely smooth. Return the puree to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium.
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04Add the pasta and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente (refer to the package for cooking times, but begin checking for doneness a minute or two sooner than the directions indicate). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with oil and top with grated Parmesan.
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Reviews
January 13, 2023
Easy, simple and delicious!
I didn't have fresh herbs on hand, so used ones I dried after Thanksgiving. Also had to substitute the beans (used one can pinto, another of cannellini) and no problem there either. You could easily add a spoonful of ham base for added smoky flavor. Or throw in spinach with the pasta for added nutrition. Big hit with little effort and very flexible.
December 4, 2022
Tim Ruck
Added spinach. Fried/ sliced up some turkey sausage links to add. However, this was just icing on the cake. The soup stands on its own. Pureeing the soup results in a great consistency. Might have cooked it too long; the pasta sucked up all of the liquid.
December 1, 2022
Simple, amazing, elegant
What a hearty and wonderful soup for any day of the week. I kept a few beans in tact because I was tired of transferring the soup to the blender, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The herbs provide a tasty undertone of flavor and the rind really adds some depth. I added a splash of lemon juice at the very end. I would make this 10 days out of 10. With garlic bread, a salad, and some wine, it's an amazing meal meant to comfort.
October 24, 2022
Everyone should eat this
It was so delicious. I held off on the dairy and the pasta, and the soup alone was delicious. Everyone should be making this.
August 31, 2022
Simple But Satisfying
Three primary ingredients create a surprisingly excellent soup destined to serve as a family favorite.
My soup was not thin enough, it ended up being more like spaghetti with bean sauce. I used dried Rancho Gordo cranberry beans, so the flavor was amazing.
Hi Christine -
This recipe was developed for canned beans. It should still work with cooked, dried beans but if you try to cook the beans in the soup, there won't be enough water to compensate. Also, make sure to use *fresh* pasta, not dried. Again, there isn't enough water to account for cooking dried pasta.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as written. My first bowl was definitely soup consistency. However, it thickens fairly quickly. While waiting for it to cool to store in the refrigerator, it had already thickened to more of a pasta dish with a heavy bean sauce. I'm not complaining. The flavors are so good. Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.
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Excellent! Easy, hearty and flavorful. Followed exactly, used sage and the Jovial brand jarred Roman (Borlotti) beans. I think the parmesan rind is definitely worth adding too.