Most warming and comforting pasta-and-bean meal of a soup, Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli recipe should be on rotation in your kitchen. Known also as pasta fazool, this Italian stew-like soup is hearty, budget-friendly, vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Great for making ahead and freezing, too.
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Beans, Italian Bean Soup, Italian Pasta Soup, Italian Soup, Pasta, Pasta Bean Soup, Tuscan Kale, Vegan Italian, vegan soup, vegetarian soup
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 8servings
Calories 358kcal
Author Irena Macri
Ingredients
3tablespoonsolive oil
1onionfinely chopped
2small carrotsfinely chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
1large rib celeryfinely chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
1teaspoonsalt
4clovesgarlicfinely chopped
½teaspoonblack pepper
¼teaspoonchili flakes or powder
2teaspoonsItalian mixed herbsor dried thyme or oregano, we love this one
⅓cuproasted red pepper stripslike these - optional!
1.5cupselbow macaroni pastaabout 6 ounces(get it here)
2canscannellini beans, navy white beans, or Great Northern beans, or chickpeas14-15 ounce cans, about 3 cups of cooked beans of choice, a variety is best
1cancrushed tomatoes15 ounces/ 425 g
5leavesTuscan (Lacinato) kalecavolo nero, remove the tough stem first and diced
2cupsvegetable stock
3cupswater
¼cupchopped parsley
1tablespoonlemon juice
Instructions
Pre-chop all the ingredients.
Press Saute and allow the Instant Pot to heat up. Add the olive oil, chopped onion, carrot, celery and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring a few times, for about 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
Add the garlic, pepper, chilli and herbs and stir through. Press Cancel to stop the Saute process.
Add the pasta, chopped kale, roasted red peppers and most of the beans. Reserve about ⅓ of the beans for later.
Add the stock and canned tomatoes, stir through. Finally, add the 3 cups of water and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot.
Secure the lid and set to Pressure Cook/Manual for 4 minutes on High pressure. Due to the amount of liquid, the IP will take about 12-15 minutes to come to pressure and then the timer will begin.
Once the timer is done, leave undisturbed for 5 minutes and then release the pressure manually.
Open the lid and stir the soup. Scoop about a cup of the stock into a measuring jug or a bowl. Don't worry if some of the vegetables or beans end up in the liquid. Add the reserved beans to the broth and puree using a blender or a food processor. This step is optional but adds amazing creaminess and body without using cream, cheese or flour.
Finally, pour in the pureed bean broth into the soup, along with lemon juice and stir through. Taste for salt and pepper and top with parsley.
Serve with extra parsley on top and grated Parmesan cheese, if using.
Notes
Saute: 6 minutes | Pressurizing: 12-15 minutes | Pressure Cook: 4 minutes | Release: natural for 5 minutes followed by quick release.Pasta: You can any small variety of pasta like small shells, cavatelli, ditalini, or ziti. Tuscan kale: you can use regular curly kale, Swiss chard or collard greens here. Optional garnishes: Additional chopped parsley, black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese. For a slightly non-conventional Italian but that works well here is some cream or sour cream.