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Easy Creamy Pasta e Fagioli Recipe

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A comforting one-pot Italian soup that uses mashed cannellini beans and pasta starch to create a luxurious creamy texture without heavy cream. It combines savory Italian sausage, aromatic vegetables, and greens for a hearty meal ready in under 45 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or hot), casings removed
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (low-sodium)
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup small pasta (ditalini or small elbow macaroni)
  • ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half (optional)
  • 2 cups spinach or kale, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

  1. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans.
  2. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and no longer pink. Drain excess fat if necessary, then remove sausage from the pot and set aside.
  3. In the same pot, add olive oil if needed. Sauté the diced onion until translucent and soft (3-4 minutes). Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Return the sausage to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes, dried oregano, and rinsed cannellini beans. Stir to combine and simmer for 2 minutes.
  5. Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Mash about one-third of the beans directly in the pot using a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Stir well to dissolve the beans into the broth and thicken the soup.
  7. Add the ditalini pasta to the pot. Stir to ensure pasta is submerged. Cook for 8-10 minutes according to package directions, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth or water if the soup becomes too thick.
  8. Stir in the spinach or kale and heavy cream (if using). Cook for 1-2 minutes until greens are wilted and cream is heated through. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  9. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

[‘Mashing the beans is crucial for the creamy texture; do not skip this step.’, ‘Keep the heat at a gentle simmer when cooking pasta to prevent mushiness.’, ‘Reserve some starchy pasta water to adjust consistency if needed.’, ‘Soup tastes better the next day as flavors deepen.’, ‘Freeze soup without pasta for best results, as pasta becomes soft upon thawing.’, ‘For a lighter version, skip the heavy cream.’, ‘Use low-sodium broth to control saltiness.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: pasta e fagioli, creamy soup, Italian sausage soup, one pot meal, comfort food, easy dinner, cannellini bean soup

Find it online: https://blingbite.com/easy-creamy-pasta-e-fagioli-recipe/