This Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli is a classic peasant soup loaded with veggies and pasta. It’s delicious, hearty, and loaded with Italian flavors! Best of all it’s made in an Instant Pot and ready in only 30 minutes from start to finish!
Instant Pot Pasta E Fagioli
I am such a soup person, anyone else out there agree? Sometimes when I make my own broth I even just sip it right out of a mug on cold mornings. Okay maybe that one is just me, but I’m sure fellow soup fiends get it. Not only is it a great blank canvas for developing deep, fun flavors, but it also just feels like a hug from mom in a bowl. Speaking of moms, this recipe is actually perfect for any moms out there who want to make something delicious and easy in 30 minutes.
What Is Pasta E Fagioli?
Some out there may recognize it better by its American name, pasta fasul. Literally translating to ‘pasta and beans’, this is a traditional Italian peasants soup. Peasant food doesn’t mean you’ll be making this dish with scraps, instead it is just a category of traditional dishes made with cheap and accessible ingredients.
It’s a great dish for students who don’t want to break the bank but want something better than what’s offered in the canteen. It stores well, is perfect for lunch the next day, and is full of fiber from the veggies and beans that will keep you full for a long time. So thank you Italy! What would we do without you?
Ingredients In Instant Pot Pasta E Fagioli
- Olive oil – We will use this to saute all our fresh veggies.
- Soffrito – Soffrito is the aromatic base for our soup made up of carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. These 3 ingredients are a very important base so be sure to include them!
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
- Chili garlic sauce – You can substitute this for hot sauce if that’s what you have on hand.
- Herbs – Rosemary and bay leaves, that’s it. Chop the rosemary finely and add the bay leaf whole. Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving.
- Beans – Cannellini beans are traditionally used, but white navy beans or garbanzos can also be used.
- Pasta – Such as rotini, gemelli, or elbow macaroni. Small shaped pasta is more traditional but any pasta you like will work!
- Diced tomatoes – Just from the can, super easy!
- Chicken broth – I prefer to use low sodium for this recipe to control the amount of salt in my dish.
- Parmesan rind – Totally optional but adding this to your soup will add so much flavor and depth.
How To Make Instant Pot Pasta E Fagioli
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare the soffrito: Use the saute function on your instant pot to heat up the olive oil before adding your aromatics. Cook until the veggies become tender and the onion starts to become translucent, about 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients to the instant pot and stir.
- Cook the soup: Close the lid on your instant pot and cook on high pressure under the manual setting for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes allow the natural pressure and heat to release before removing the lid from the pot, this typically take around 10 minutes.
- Finish the soup: Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaf before garnishing with parsley and serving.
How Else Can I Make Pasta E Fagioli?
If you’re without an instant pot, there’s still perfectly good ways to make this soup.
Slow cooker
Add all the listed ingredients, save for the pasta, to your slow cooker and cook on high for 3 – 5 hours or low for 5 – 7 hours. Cook pasta separately and add right at the end to fully incorporate.
Stove top
Cook soffrito till the veggies are tender in a large dutch oven with olive oil. Add everything, except the pasta, herbs, and Parmesan rind, to the pot and allow to come to a boil. Once the soup boils reduce the heat to medium low, add the herbs and rind, and allow to cook at a gentle simmer with the lid partially covering the pot for 1 – 2 hours. Cook the pasta and add to the soup once it is finished and serve hot.
Storing Pasta E Fagioli
This soup can be stored in the fridge for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container. Freezing works well for up to 3 months but is a bit more tricky, pasta can become mushy when frozen and defrosted so if you plan on making this in advance I recommend some tweaks.
First you’ll want to just make the soup base without the pasta in your pressure cooker, allow to cool fully and freeze in a shallow container. Defrost on the stove top, boil fresh pasta and add this to the soup when ready to eat.
Love Your Instant Pot? Try these pressure cooker recipes:
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Shawarma
- Butter Chicken
- Swedish Meatballs
- Mongolian Beef
- Zuppa Toscana
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Mac and Cheese
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Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp chili garlic sauce or hot sauce
- 1 tbsp rosemary fresh, chopped
- 15.5 oz cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
- 5 oz pasta such as rotini, gemelli, or elbow macaroni
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 4 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 2 bay leaves dried
- 1 parmesan rind optional
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. (See your manufacturer's guide for detailed instructions on how to use your instant pot.)
- Add the olive oil to the instant pot and let it heat for a few seconds, then add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Stir and saute for about 1 minute until the onion softens a bit.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the instant pot and stir.
- Close the lid (follow the manufacturer's guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Cook on high pressure (Manual setting) for 3 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 10 minutes. Follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release, if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.
- Remove the Parmesan rind, then garnish with parsley, Parmesan cheese and serve warm.
Video
Recipe Notes
- What is an Instant Pot: An IP is a multi-cooker, it's like seven different appliances all in one! It does the job of a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, etc.
- I don't have an Instant Pot, can I still make this: Yes! Follow the same instructions by adding the ingredients to a soup pot, and cooking for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked to your preference.
- Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Super easy recipe! It’s a bit spicy for me so next time I would do less chili sauce.
Just want to say this is one of my favourite Instant Pot soups to make. In the past, I’ve shared it with vegetarian friends who also loved it. Now, during quarantine, I turn to it about once per week. I’m not vegetarian, but my roommate is, so I started cooking some sausage on the side, crumbling it and throwing it in my own bowl. (You could also cook sausage in the pot directly before throwing in the celery, carrots, garlic and onion but my roommate is vegetarian so this method works better for us). I also cook the pasta on the side just because there’s always welcome leftovers and find I can keep the pasta firmer by storing it separate — personal preference! I never have parsley on hand but always buy fresh rosemary for this as it definitely makes the soup. As does topping with Parmesan cheese. Would definitely recommend!