Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Bean Soup)
Pasta e Fagioli is one of my favourite comfort foods. A traditional Italian soup made with pasta and beans, it is so satisfying, cheap to make and very family friendly (especially when topped with lots of cheese).
Realising I could make Pasta e Fagioli in the slow cooker was a game changer! For me, and I’m sure lots of other busy people with hungry households, that hour or so before dinner (when everyone gets home from work/school/nursey/activities etc) is the hardest part of the day, so I don’t really want to be stuck in the kitchen glued to the hob for 30 minutes.
Now I can do all the prep on my lunch break or while my toddler naps and let it cook away, ready for dinner time. That means no pot watching, the bulk of the prep can be done at a time that suits me and it’s also very forgiving so if we run late it’s no big deal.
| Keep reading for everything you need, plus a few swaps if you don’t have everything in or have fussy eaters at home. |
Quick Recipe Summary
🩷 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Full ingredients list with quantities is included in the recipe card below. These are some helpful notes about the main ingredients including some swaps and substitutes where applicable.
- Tinned Beans – I love using borlotti and haricot beans, but most work well. The basic recipe requires 2 400g cans and you can use a mix or two of the same.
- Small Pasta Shapes – Like ditalini or macaroni.
- Soffritto Mix – I use prepared frozen soffritto or base mix to keep it super quick and easy. Chop by hand (equivalent of 1 onion, carrot and celery rib each, diced) if you prefer.
- Garlic, Rosemary and Oregano for flavour.
- Tinned tomatoes and a stock cube – to flavour the broth. I tend to go for chicken stock but vegetable works well too.
- Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil to garnish.
- Optional enhancers: Parmesan rind, or grated parmesan
Swaps and Substitutions
Like all of my recipes, this recipe is easy to adapt to what you have to hand. I’ve included a few ideas below but feel free to make it your own, and leave a comment if you tried something different.
- You can use almost any kind of canned beans – I’ve used borlotti, haricot, chickpeas/garbanzo, cannellini, butter beans or kidney beans.
- Swap the soffritto mix for just diced onion or onion and chopped carrots.
- It’s not traditional but you can add in some extra diced veggies like courgette or red pepper.
- Swap out the rosemary and oregano – try dried basil, bay leaf or an Italian Herb blend.
- Add some greens – like shredded kale, cavolo nero or cabbage
How to Make Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli
- If your slow cooker allows, heat the olive oil and add the soffritto mix. Cook until just softening, then add the rosemary, oregano, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook another 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, do this in a frying pan then transfer to the slow cooker, or skip this step if you prefer to dump-and-go.
- Add all remaining ingredients plus 1.5 litres of hot water and stir well. Cook on high for 1 hour.
- Alternately, add all ingredients except the pasta and cook on low for up to 8 hours or high for up to 4 hours. Add the pasta 45 minutes to 1 hour before intending to serve and cook on high.
Carrie’s Note
This is the dinner I make when my kid has a full day at nursery and comes home super over-stimulated. I can pick her up at 5pm then throw the pasta in the slow cooker, giving us an hour of uninterrupted one-on-one time to reset and relax before dinner.
Everything We Ate
If you want to see some realistic dinner inspiration then I share a regular recap of our family meals (what worked, what didn’t, and how I stretched the leftovers) for free over on Substack.
Tips For Success
- You do need to remember to pop the pasta in about 45 minutes to an hour before you want to eat. The absolute maximum time you can leave the pasta cooking on high is 2 hours, after that it will be very mushy.
- Alternatively cook the pasta separately and add it to serve (just reduce the liquid to about 1 litre/4cups if you’re doing this) or leave the lid off the slow cooker for the final 20 or so minutes on high to reduce. You can make the pasta in advance too – drizzle with a little olive oil so it doesn’t stick.
- You can ‘dump-and-go‘ with this recipe and add everything to the slow cooker at once, it will still come out great. But if you have the time/inclination I highly recommend taking those extra couple minutes to fry off the soffritto, garlic and herbs as it really helps bring out the best flavour.
Serving Suggestions
In my house, pasta and bean soup gets topped with plenty of grated cheese, and served with a side of garlic bread if I remember to turn the oven on. A green salad wouldn’t go amiss.
If I’m really prepared I have some Cheese and Chive or Cheese and Sundried Tomato Scones to serve on the side with plenty of butter.
Make Ahead and Batch Cook
| Up to 8 Hours in advance: | Add all the ingredients except the pasta and cook on low for up to 8 hours or high for up to 4 hours. Add the pasta 45 minutes to 1 hour before intending to serve and cook on high. |
| Freezer: | Follow the recipe card and add all the ingredients except the pasta to the slow cooker, reducing the liquid to 1 litre/4 cups. Cook on high for 1 hour. Cool and freeze. Once defrosted, reheat and stir through cooked pasta to serve. |
| Batch: | Double up on prep – if you’re making a batch to cook today, make double and freeze half as above for another day. |
Leftovers
| Fridge: | Up to 3 days in an airtight container. The pasta will soak up all the liquid so make sure to add some extra water when reheating. |
| Freezer: | Up to 3 months. Best freshly cooked (freezing can soften the pasta – my recommendation would be to cook the pasta separately if planning to freeze) but still perfectly tasty reheated from frozen. Defrost fully before reheating. |
| Reheat: | Microwave or hob until piping hot. |
| Leftovers tip: | Add some fresh herbs when reheating to brighten it. |
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The Recipe
Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups frozen soffrito mix diced onion, carrot and celery
- 1 tbsp diced garlic
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
- 2 400g (2 14oz) tin of beans like borlotti, haricot, cannellini, chickpeas, kidney beans
- 1 400g (1 14oz) tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 stock cube chicken or vegetable
- 1.5 litres (6 ⅓ cups) hot water
- 150 grams (2 ½ cups) small pasta like ditalini or macaroni
- Parmesan rind optional but recommended
Instructions
- If your slow cooker allows (either by using on the hob or with a sear/sautee function), heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the soffritto mix. Cook until just softening, then add the rosemary, oregano, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook another 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, do this in a frying pan then transfer to the slow cooker, or skip this step if you prefer to dump-and-go.
- Add all the remaining ingredients including 1.5 litres of hot water to the slow cooker and stir well. Cook on high for 1 hour.
- Alternately, add all ingredients except the pasta and cook on low for up to 8 hours or high for up to 4 hours. Add the pasta 45 minutes to 1 hour before intending to serve and cook on high.
Notes
