Pasta E Fagioli — a plant-based Italian recipe by BOSH!
Jump to recipeMore Italian recipes →More Dinner recipes →

Pasta E Fagioli

Pasta e Fagioli is one of those recipes we keep coming back to again and again, especially when the weather turns and you just want something that genuinely warms you from the inside out. It's a proper Italian classic, thick and hearty with creamy beans, tender pasta, and a broth that's deeply savoury from rosemary, thyme, and a good splash of red wine. Every spoonful has something going on, silky beans, al dente pasta, fragrant herbs, and that rich tomatoey base pulling it all together. If you've never made this before, trust us, it's about to become a regular on your weeknight rotation.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large saucepan
  • Colander
  • Microplane or fine grater

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 6 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 x 400g cans of plum tomatoes
  • 180ml red wine - small bottle
  • 1 400g can of borlotti beans
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 100g dried small pasta - or broken tagliatelle
  • 400g baby spinach
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1

First, prepare the ingredients

  • Drain and rinse the tinned beans
  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Pick and roughly chop the rosemary and thyme
  • Dice the spinach
  • Prepare the stock
2

Then, cook the sauce

  • Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat
  • Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme to the pan and stir until fragrant
  • Add the red wine, increase the heat and leave to simmer for 3-4 minutes
  • Pour the tomatoes into the pan, stir to combine, increase the heat to a simmer and leave for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes to prevent catching
  • Add the beans, bay leaf, chilli flakes and vegetable stock to the pan and leave to simmer for 8-10 minutes
  • Add water to loosen the dish
3

Add the pasta and serve

  • Add the pasta to the pan, stir and leave to simmer until the pasta is almost tender (8-10 minutes depending on packet instructions)
  • Add the spinach to the pan, stir it into the sauce, ladle the Pasta e Fagioli into a bowl and serve immediately
  • Transfer the remaining Pasta e Fagioli to a sealable container, put the container in the fridge for later in the week

Tips & Variations

  • Use good quality tinned beans: We love borlotti beans here for their creamy texture and earthy flavour, but cannellini beans work brilliantly too and give a slightly lighter result.
  • Don't rush the wine: Let the red wine actually simmer and reduce for those 3 to 4 minutes. It loses the harsh alcohol edge and what's left is a deep, rounded richness that really lifts the whole dish.
  • Make it chunkier or soupier: This is one of those recipes you can adapt to how you're feeling. Add more stock for a brothier soup or let it cook down longer for something thicker and more stew-like. Both are great.

Why This Works

The trick here is giving that garlic and herb base a proper moment in the olive oil before anything else goes in. It might feel like a small thing but it builds a flavour foundation that makes the whole dish taste like it's been cooking for hours. Blending a portion of the beans into the broth is the other game changer, it gives the soup that signature creamy thickness without any cream at all.