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comforting bean pasta dish

Hearty Pasta E Fagioli

This rich and comforting Italian soup combines tender pasta with two types of beans, ground beef, and Italian sausage in a flavorful tomato broth. Perfect for cold nights, this rustic dish delivers incredible depth of flavor while being surprisingly simple to prepare.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 385
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 link hot Italian sausage casing removed
  • 15 ounces great northern white beans drained
  • 1 can red kidney beans 15 ounces, drained
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ pound ditali pasta or other small pasta shape
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes 14 ounces each
  • 15 ounces tomato juice
  • 12 ounces V8 vegetable juice
  • 1 can beef broth 15 ounces
  • 1 cup carrots julienned
  • 3 stalks celery chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • to taste cayenne pepper

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Paper towels
  • Pasta pot

Method
 

  1. In a large pot, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage (removed from casing) until fully cooked.
  2. Drain the cooked meat on paper towels to remove excess fat.
  3. In the same pot, add the diced onion, julienned carrots, chopped celery, and minced garlic. Sauté for about 10 minutes until vegetables have softened.
  4. Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, northern white beans, tomato juice, V8 vegetable juice, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and thyme to the pot.
  5. Pour in the beef broth, add cayenne pepper to taste, and return the cooked meat to the pot.
  6. Allow the soup to simmer for about an hour, letting the flavors meld together. If the soup seems too thick, add more beef broth to reach your desired consistency.
  7. While the soup simmers, cook the ditali pasta according to package directions until al dente.
  8. Drain the pasta and stir it into the soup just before serving.

Notes

This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop. Consider making a double batch and enjoying the leftovers for lunch or dinner throughout the week.
For a complete meal, serve with crusty garlic bread and a simple Caesar salad. A medium-bodied Italian red wine like Chianti pairs beautifully with this hearty soup.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta may absorb some of the liquid during storage, so you might need to add a splash of broth when reheating.