This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Traditional Italian Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and bean) soup made with ease in an Instant Pot!
Savory flavors of pancetta, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, herbs, cannellini, kidney beans and pasta infuse and cook together in your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. Have delicious hot soup ready and waiting for you when you get home! Each spoonful dissolves in your mouth.
Pasta Fagioli
Nothing is more satisfying than a hearty bowl of hot Pasta e Fagioli soup. Bite-sized pieces of tiny pasta, wholesome beans, in a tomato-based broth fit perfectly on your spoon. Each bite delivers a balance of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and vegetables all in one tasty serving.
Hey there! I’m Jessica Gavin, a Certified Culinary Scientist and I unravel the science behind better cooking on my website JessicaGavin.com. I’m thrilled to share this comforting Pasta e Fagioli soup recipe with you. I’ve taken the classic stove-top method and converted it to a simple Instant Pot version.
Instant Pot
The multi-cooker has multiple functions, perfect for maneuvering through the various cooking techniques needed to master this recipe with ease. You’ll be delighted to discover how the pressure cooker is efficient and cuts back on dishwashing.
Use my shortcuts by grabbing common pantry ingredients to make preparation faster and budget-friendly.
How to make Pasta E Fagioli in the Instant Pot (or Pressure Cooker)
- Saute pancetta, garlic, onions, carrots and celery to light brown and intensify their flavor.
- Cook the dried pasta using high pressure for 3 minutes, and 10 minutes natural release.
- Add the canned cannellini and red kidney beans at the end of cooking just to warm them, keeping them intact and creamy in texture.
With multiple components in this pasta and bean soup, a little bit of strategy is needed to ensure the right taste and texture. Robust ingredients like pancetta, onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes, and dried pasta can withstand brief cooking under pressure. The beans, however, are added at the very end to prevent tiny legume explosions.
The Instant Pot makes the soup all in one pot for quick and flavorful results.
Pasta E Fagioli Ingredients
- Small dried pasta like shells or ditalini
- Aromatics like garlic, onion, carrots, and celery
- Canned diced tomatoes and paste
- Canned cannellini and red kidney beans
- Diced pancetta or bacon
- Vegetable stock or broth
- Bay leaf, thyme, oregano and thyme
To save on time, convenience items like canned tomatoes and beans reduces the need to chop or pre-soak. It usually takes hours to cook beans from scratch. I’m not afraid to break out a can opener for those dinner time rush kind of nights.
Serve with big slices of garlic bread to soak up the delicious soup!
If you enjoy this recipe, I know you will also love my 30-minute minestrone soup too!
Need more soup recipes? Try these!
Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup
10-Minute White Bean Parmesan Spinach Soup
Best Lentil Soup
Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup bacon or diced pancetta, ¼-inch dice
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 cup white onion diced, ¼-inch dice
- ½ cup celery diced, ¼-inch dice
- ½ cup carrots diced, ¼-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce tomatoes canned diced, with juice
- 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 cup shell pasta dried small
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 15- ounce cannellini beans canned, drained and rinsed
- 15- ounce red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 pinch black pepper as needed for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped, for garnish
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated for garnish
Instructions
- Select "Saute" on the Instant Pot. Allow pot to heat, it will indicate "Hot" on the display when ready.
- Add olive oil to the pot, once hot add garlic and onion, saute until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Add celery and carrots, saute 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste, saute 30 seconds.
- Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, pasta, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, rosemary, and salt.
- Make sure that the release valve is in the "Sealing" position.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn and lock the lid.
- Press "Manual" button on the Instant Pot on high pressure, and then set the timer to 3 minutes using the "+" or "-" buttons.
- It will take about 15 minutes for the pot to heat up and build up the pressure. You will see some steam release from the lid, and then the time will start on the display.
- Once cook time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes.
- Use an oven mitt or towel to slowly and carefully twist the steam release handle on the lid to "Venting" position. The initial release will spray some moisture around the pot so be careful.
- Add the cannellini and red kidney beans, stir to combine and allow to warm for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Taste soup and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Garnish soup with parsley and parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You might also like
Get a free eBook!
Subscribe to Cafe Delites FOR FREE and receive recipes straight into your inbox!
I saw you converted this from a stove top version. I don’t have an insta-pot and my crock pot cord (had it for 15 years) divorced the pot in a fiery breakup (literal sparks came out of my outlet when I plugged it in. Anyway, could you please post the stove top directions? My husband loves this soup and I lost my original recipe.
This soup tastes wonderful! My only comments are: 1) as stated by others, the recipe instructions don’t tell you when to add the panchetta/bacon so it’s easy to forget it; 2) there wasn’t enough liquid so this ended up more like a thin stew; and 3) there’s only 2 of us and this makes enough to freeze – I would leave the pasta out until heating each portion to serve or it gets overcooked and mushy. Otherwise, it freezes and reheats well. I would definitely make this again!
I am making this today and don’t see where I add the chopped bacon? I assume that I sauté it first before adding the garlic and onions? Thank you!
Yes, thank you! That is correct! Thanks so much! Enjoy your soup! XO
This turned out great. I had about a cup of leftover pasta sauce I added and rinsed out the jar with red wine. I added about 50% more pasta to compensate for the added liquid.
However, I was following the instructions and when I got done I realized I still had the diced bacon (pancetta) left over. In the instructions it fails to mention frying it with the onions & garlic. I fryed it up by itself and added it. Correction needs to be done to the recipe.
Drain the beans or add with fluid?
You will want to drain the beans.
Can you make on top of the stove
can this soup be made in a crock pot?
Yes, that would be perfect with this soup! Enjoy!