America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
The following text field filters the results that follow as you type.
no results available
Cooking for Two
Recipe
40 min

Pasta e Fagioli for Two

(175)
45 Comments
Loading...
Pasta e Fagioli for Two
Author: Lawman Johnson

Recipe By Lawman Johnson

Published on August 27, 2026

Italian American comfort food perfectly portioned for two.

Time

40 min

Yield

Serves 2

Why This Recipe Works

This hearty Italian American comfort food is both delicious and easy to make. To build the soup base, we rendered bacon with chopped onion and celery. Then we added garlic and oregano for depth and red pepper flakes for a whisper of heat. Savory chicken broth elevated the simple ingredients to a legitimate soup, while tender white beans ensured its hearty nature. A short simmer afforded the flavors time to meld. For convenience, we cooked the pasta in the same pot, which also allowed it to absorb the flavorful broth. Garnish with grated Parmesan and olive oil for an elevated finish.

Ingredients

2 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 celery rib, minced
Salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or ¼ teaspoon dried
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
¾ cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
⅔ cup small pasta, such as ditalini, tubettini, or mini elbows

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Cook bacon in medium saucepan over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion, celery, and pinch salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    Recipe Tip
    Using a garlic press for this recipe means you can press the clove right into the pot; our favorite press is the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press.
  2. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in beans, bring to simmer, and cook until mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Stir in pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
    Recipe Tip
    Don’t skip rinsing your beans! Canned beans contain sodium, which helps season the beans and makes them more flavorful. Rinsing will remove only the excess sodium on the exterior of the beans so you’re more in control of the salt levels in your soup.

My Rating

Up Next

All-American Mini Meatloaves for Two
Recipe1 hr 5 min

All-American Mini Meatloaves for Two

Pasta e Fagioli for Two

Recipe By Lawman Johnson

Published on August 27, 2026

Time

40 min

Yield

Serves 2

Pasta e Fagioli for Two

Ingredients

2 slices bacon, chopped fine1 small onion, chopped fine1 celery rib, mincedSalt and pepper1 garlic clove, minced1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or ¼ teaspoon driedPinch red pepper flakes1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes¾ cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed1 cup chicken broth1 cup water⅔ cup small pasta, such as ditalini, tubettini, or mini elbows

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in medium saucepan over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion, celery, and pinch salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    Recipe Tip
    Using a garlic press for this recipe means you can press the clove right into the pot; our favorite press is the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press.
  2. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in beans, bring to simmer, and cook until mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Stir in pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
    Recipe Tip
    Don’t skip rinsing your beans! Canned beans contain sodium, which helps season the beans and makes them more flavorful. Rinsing will remove only the excess sodium on the exterior of the beans so you’re more in control of the salt levels in your soup.
This is a members' feature.