White Bean and Potato Soup with Pasta

White Bean and Potato Soup with Pasta is my parent's take on pasta e fagioli. Adding potatoes to this soup gives it a wonderful creamy texture. Just 6 simple ingredients to create the ultimate Italian comfort food!

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword white bean and potato soup, bean soup

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 40

Soaking time 12

Total Time 2

Servings servings

Calories 321kcal

Author Nadia Fazio

Ingredients

2 cups dry white beans or 3 cups frozen romano beans
2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for serving
2 diced small onions (or 1 large)
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, (or 1 large ripe tomato seeded and diced)
2 large potatoes peeled and cubed
2 bay leaves
1 cup short pasta such as ditalini or macaroni
salt to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl, cover the beans with water and let soak overnight.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions, stirring often, until softened about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add salt, to tasate
Pour in 10 cups of cold water, cover and bring to a boil.
Drain the soaked beans and rinse.
When the water has come to a boil add bay leaves, diced potatoes and white beans.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are tender about 1 1 /2 hours. Add salt, to taste
When the beans are tender add salt to taste. Add pasta and cook until desired doneness.
Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Remove and discard the bay leaves and add a drizzle of olive oil before serving. Serve hot.

Notes

Substitutions and Variations:

If using frozen freshly shelled romano beans, use 3 cups instead of 2 cups dry beans.
My family usually does not add any garlic to this soup, however a clove of garlic may be added just prior to adding the diced tomatoes.
For extra flavor, try adding a Parmesan rind to the soup when cooking the beans.
Stir in a handful or two of fresh spinach leaves at the end of cooking for an extra nutritious soup.

Best pasta options for pasta and bean soup:

Use any small pasta shape of your choice including ditalini, small shells, or elbow macaroni.
In a pinch, spaghetti broken into small pieces also works well!

More tips:

For extra creamy texture, mash a few cubes of potatoes with a wooden spoon by pressing them against the side of the pot just before adding the pasta.
This soup is even tastier and has a rich and creamy texture when reheated the following day.

Storage:

Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Nutrition