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This Healthy Pasta e Fagioli is a cozy and filling protein-rich dinner that comes together in just one pot! It’s comforting, naturally gluten-free and low in calories too! It truly packs in just about everything you need for a nutritionally balanced and tasty meal. Best of all, it’s perfect to make for a family dinner or even when you’re feeding a crowd.
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This healthy Pasta Fagioli recipe packs in everything the traditional Italian soup does. Lean meat, veggies, a savory tomato base, beans and pasta!
It’s right up there on my list of favorite weeknight meals, along with my Healthy Chili Mac, Skillet Lasagna, High Protein Low Calorie Beef Stroganoff and Greek Lemon Chicken Soup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Protein rich: This one’s a delicious and filling high protein soup recipe that’s perfect to make when you’re consciously trying to include more protein in your meals. I've added lean ground meat, a high protein plant-based pasta, and more vegetables to make it more balanced.
- Low calorie: It’s lower in calories, which makes it an excellent high volume food to enjoy especially when you’re trying to lose weight.
- One pot meal: It comes together in just one pot, which means less cleanup afterwards! This one’s a big win in my books.
- Customizable: You can customize the recipe based on what you have at hand, including the meat, the pasta and even the veggies!
Ingredients
- Ground turkey: I used 98% lean ground turkey. You can try this recipe with other lean meat too like ground beef or ground chicken.
- Veggies: You’ll need fresh garlic and onion to build that savory flavor, carrots and fire roasted tomatoes for the sauce, and some spinach for the pop of color and nutrition. You can also try this recipe with kale or another leafy green.
- Cannellini beans: These are my favorite choice for the recipe. You can also use red kidney beans or pinto beans if you want to.
- Tomato sauce: I love using my slow cooker pasta sauce. You can stick to canned tomato sauce too.Â
- Seasonings: Just some staples- red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. We also stir in some Parmesan cheese for some nutty, cheesy deliciousness.
- Pasta: I used chickpea elbow pasta here to bump up the protein and fiber content. You can also use whole grain or whole wheat pasta too. Just make sure it's not made with enriched wheat.
- Olive oil: Ideally extra virgin which makes a great healthy oil for cooking.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Add More Veggies: Bulk up the white bean pasta fagioli with chopped veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini.
- Dairy-Free: To make the dish dairy-free, skip the Parmesan cheese. You can add some nutritional yeast for a bit of cheesy and nutty flavor.
- Vegetarian: While you can make this vegetarian by swapping the ground turkey with a plant-based alternative, this may impact the balance of the macronutrients. Try the best vegetarian lasagna recipe that's packed with protein.
How to Make Pasta e Fagioli
Step 1: Saute veggies. Cook the chopped onions, garlic and sliced carrots with the olive oil over medium heat until they are slightly soft.
Step 2: Add ground meat. Add the ground turkey to the pot along with the seasonings. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks.
Step 3: Add broth and pasta. Once the meat has browned, add the chicken broth, pasta, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover the pot and bring this to a boil.
Step 4: Simmer. Once it starts to boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step 5: Add the beans. Add the rinsed and drained beans to the pot along with the spinach and Parmesan cheese.
Step 6: Finish up. Let this cook for another 2-3 minutes and then take it off the heat. Serve hot!
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store the leftover cannellini pasta e fagioli in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If you're looking to freeze the soup, you can store it for up to three months, but the texture of the soup will likely change when it's thawed out. The pasta will likely be quite mushy.
- Reheating: Reheat the soup in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat. You may need to add a bit of water or broth to adjust its consistency.
- Make Ahead: To make the dish ahead of time, cook and store the pasta separately, and skip adding the spinach and parmesan. Reheat the soup on the stove with the pasta, spinach, and parmesan added.
Expert Tips
- Dry beans: If you don’t have canned beans, wash and soak your dry beans overnight and then cook them until they are tender, but not mushy. You can then drain away the excess liquid and use them for this recipe.
- Add herbs: Add fresh or dried herbs like oregano, basil and thyme to the dish to amp up its flavor.
- Save some time: Use a small blender to roughly chopping your veggies. I like to do this ahead of time so all the ingredients are ready to cook!
- Serving: This hearty soup makes a great main course for lunch or dinner. Pair it with some bread for dipping! I recommend trying my easy cauliflower bread recipe, leftover mashed potato muffins made from leftover mashed potatoes, and healthy zucchini biscuits to go with it.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can though it's super fast and easy on the stove. But if you love your crockpot (believe me - I love mine too!), you can give it a go. Simply let the veggies and the meat cook for about 6 hours on low, and then add the pasta, beans, and Parmesan towards the final 20 minutes of cooking time.Â
To make this easy Pasta Fagioli soup in an Instant Pot, use the saute function to cook the veggies and meat, pressure cook the pasta for 7 minutes, and then finish up with the beans, spinach and Parmesan.Â
More Delicious Italian Recipes
If you tried this healthier pasta e fagioli recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups carrots diced
- ½ cup white onion diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 lb ground turkey 98% lean
- 4 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 15 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes with juices
- 15 oz cannelli beans canned or beans of choice
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ tablespoons parmesan grated
- 4 oz chickpea elbow pasta
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot to medium heat. Add the olive oil, carrots, onions and garlic. Cook 7 minutes until the carrots and other veggies are soft.
- Add the ground turkey with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to the pot. Break up the meat with a spatula as it browns.
- Once the meat browns, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with juices, chicken broth and chickpea elbow pasta. Cover and bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a medium simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cover and stir to check that the pasta is cooked. Drain the canned beans, and rinse then add to the pot with the parmesan and spinach. Stir to combine. Cook another 2-3 minutes then serve!
- Store the pasta e fagioli in the refrigerator up to 7 days or in the freezer up to 30 days.
Notes
- 1 serving equals about 1 1/2 cups
- If you’re meal prepping the dish, don’t add the pasta and beans, as they’ll lose their texture when cooked, frozen and reheated.Â
- Use a protein rich pasta or a whole grain pasta to keep it healthy.Â
- Remember to add a splash of water or chicken broth while reheating to get the soup to the right consistency.
Nutrition
This is a staple in my home. Its super simple to make, comes together fast and BONUS my 3 year old loves it!
So glad you enjoy this recipe!
10/10!!!!! Did not expect to love this recipe so much, but I even woke up this morning thinking about it. We did add more pasta and omitted the cheese, but other than that followed the recipe. It’s phenomenal!
This was great, thanks so much for sharing it!!
WOW this was surprisingly delicious. I followed the instructions exactly as listed. Will be making this all winter.
Amazing recipe! We’ve made this a few times this past year and it never disappoints.
I am so huge Pasta e Fagioli fan. I was just recently diagnosed with high cholesterol and need to make some drastic changes. The only thing I did not add was the parm. Instead I sprinkle a little on when serving. This recipe was fantastic. Well be a regular on my menu. Thank you.