The Secret Ingredient Ina Garten Uses in Her Pasta e Fagioli

Pasta e fagioli (pronounced “pasta fah-joh-lee”) is Italian comfort food at its finest. Translating to “pasta and beans,” it’s a hearty, rustic soup made with ditalini (a small, tube-shaped pasta), creamy cannellini beans, tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Some versions also include pancetta for a smoky kick. 

Now, imagine Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa herself, taking on this classic dish. Ina is the queen of elevating homey recipes into culinary masterpieces, so it’s no surprise she has a secret ingredient that makes this classic dish something that is out-of-this-world delicious and also saves you time. 

On the Food Network, Ina shared the recipe for her 16 Bean Pasta e Fagioli and it looks so good! We can’t wait to make it. 

Related: The Simple But Fancy Pasta Dish Ina Garten Loves to Make 

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What’s So Smart About Ina Garten’s 16 Bean Pasta e Fagioli?

Why use one bean when you can use 16? Ina is known for going above and beyond in her recipes, but she’s also known for the smart ways she elevates her dishes. This recipe has a classic example of that with the 16-bean soup mix Ina uses in her pasta e fagioli. The melange of many beans is a great way to bring color, texture and flavor to this classic Italian soup with just one ingredient. 

But wait, there’s more. Ina puts two-thirds of the cooked beans in the soup and passes the remaining third through a food mill to create a bean puree. The puree add a rich, creamy texture to the soup without any dairy. 

The only rub? 16-bean soup mix is made with dried beans, so you need soak them the night before so you can cook them the next day. It’s an easy do-ahead with a lot of payoff, which is very Ina-style. This is the perfect soup to make over the weekend, when you’re relaxing at home and have a little time to pop into the kitchen now and then while supper bubbles away on the stove.

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How to Make Ina Garten’s 16 Bean Pasta e Fagioli

You can find a full list of ingredients and how to make the soup on Food Network’s site, but you’ll need the 16-bean soup mix, “good” olive oil, pancetta, onion, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, one can of crushed tomatoes, dry red wine, chicken stock, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, miniature pasta (such as ditalini), freshly grated Parmesan cheese, red wine vinegar and fresh basil leaves. 

The day before you plan to make the soup, place the beans in a large bowl, add cold water to cover the beans by two inches and refrigerate them overnight. The next day, drain the beans, rinse them under cold water and drain again. Place the beans in a large pot with eight cups of cold water. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very tender, about 1 hour. 

While the beans are simmering, heat the oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and onion and sauté until browned (or around 15 minutes). Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for one minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, chicken stock, salt and black pepper, stir well and turn off the heat.

Drain the beans and add two-thirds of them to the soup mixture. Pass the remaining beans through a food mill, creating a bean puree. Stir the bean puree and the pasta into the soup and bring it all to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more chicken stock if the soup is too thick. 

Stir in the Parmesan and the vinegar, then ladle the soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and some grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish with the basil and serve with more Parmesan on the side.

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