Giada pasta e fagioli from Giada De Laurentiis simmers kidney beans with pancetta and a cheesecloth herb sachet before blending part of the broth thick and cooking elbow pasta directly in the pot. And the soup serves 6 at approximately 340 calories per serving in about 50 minutes, since the beans come from cans and skip the overnight soak.
Most pasta e fagioli recipes dump dried herbs straight into the broth, but Giada wraps fresh thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf in cheesecloth and ties it with twine. So the herbs infuse the liquid cleanly and pull out in one piece, which means no fishing for stems or leaves before serving.
Puréeing 1 cup of the bean mixture and stirring it back in is the step that transforms a thin broth into the thick, stew-like consistency this dish is known for. And if you skip the blend, the soup stays watery around the pasta and beans instead of clinging to each spoonful the way traditional pasta fazul should.
Source: Giada De Laurentiis (Giadzy.com)
Giada Pasta e Fagioli
Course: PastaCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes30
minutes340
kcalA cheesecloth sachet of thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf simmers in chicken broth with kidney beans, pancetta, onion, and garlic. Then 1 cup of the bean mixture blends smooth and returns to the pot while elbow pasta boils in the broth until tender.
Ingredients
- For the herb sachet:
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
Cheesecloth and kitchen twine
- For the soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
5 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-oz.) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup short pasta such as elbow macaroni or ditaloni
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- For serving:
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- Make the herb sachet: Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in cheesecloth and tie closed with kitchen twine.
- Sauté the aromatics: Then heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion, pancetta, and garlic about 3 minutes until the onion is tender.
- Add the broth and beans: Once the onion softens, pour in the chicken broth, add the beans, and drop in the herb sachet.
- Simmer the soup: Then cover, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium, and simmer about 10 minutes until everything is very tender.
- Remove the sachet: After 10 minutes, pull out and discard the cheesecloth bundle.
- Blend part of the soup: Then scoop out 1 cup of the bean mixture, let it cool for 5 minutes, and purée in a blender until smooth.
- Cook the pasta: While the purée cools, add the elbow pasta to the pot and boil with the lid on for about 8 minutes until tender but firm.
- Return the purée: Once the pasta is cooked, stir the blended bean mixture back into the soup.
- Season the soup: Then add black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
FAQs
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?
Giada mentions on the source page that dried herbs work if fresh are unavailable, but to use a smaller amount since dried herbs are more concentrated. And 1/2 teaspoon each of dried thyme and rosemary plus the bay leaf replaces the fresh sprigs.
But skip the cheesecloth sachet with dried herbs, because the small pieces float freely and do not need a bundle. Since dried herbs release their oils faster in hot liquid, the 10-minute simmer is still enough time to infuse the broth fully.
Why does the recipe blend only part of the beans?
Puréeing 1 cup thickens the broth to a stew-like consistency while the whole beans left in the pot give each bite texture. And blending all the beans would turn the soup into a smooth purée that loses the hearty, rustic character pasta e fagioli is known for.
The same partial-blend technique appears in the giada winter minestrone, where 3/4 cup of cannellini beans blend with broth to thicken the base. Since both soups rely on beans rather than flour or cream for body, the purée step is what separates a thin broth from a substantial one.
Can I use a different type of bean?
Kidney beans are traditional in many Italian-American versions, but cannellini or borlotti beans swap in at the same volume. And cannellini give a milder, creamier result, while borlotti add a nuttier flavor closer to what you find in Italy.
But avoid black beans or pinto beans, because their stronger flavor changes the character of the soup entirely. Since the beans are the co-star alongside the pasta, their taste comes through clearly in every spoonful.
What pasta shape works best?
Elbow macaroni or ditaloni are small enough to fit on a soup spoon alongside the beans, which is the whole point of the shape choice. And any short, small pasta like small shells or tubettini works since they cook at a similar rate in the simmering broth.
But avoid long pasta or large shapes like rigatoni, because they dominate the bowl and make the soup hard to eat. Since the pasta cooks directly in the broth, it absorbs flavor from the beans and pancetta, so smaller pieces with more surface area taste better than bigger ones.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
The pasta absorbs broth as it sits, so leftovers thicken significantly overnight in the fridge. And adding a splash of chicken broth when reheating on the stovetop over medium-low loosens the soup back to a spoonable consistency.
But if you plan to store the soup for more than a day, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl when serving. Since the giada bison bolognese uses the same strategy of undercooking pasta and finishing in the sauce, holding noodles out of the storage container works for any dish where starch keeps absorbing liquid.
