This easy chicken pasta fagioli soup started as a “clean out the pantry” dinner. Shockingly, no one complained.
It’s a cozy chicken pasta and beans soup with tomatoes, ditalini, and cheese. Basically, comfort food with a decent work ethic.
I love a hearty chicken pasta soup that feeds everyone without drama. Leftovers are the real prize here.
Chicken Pasta Fagioli Soup
EQUIPMENT (PAID LINKS)
- Large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot
- Medium pot
- Food processor
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ cup sliced carrots
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups boneless chicken breast cut into bite-size cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 15.5- ounce cans cannellini beans or Great Northern beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 15.5- ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 28- ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 plum tomatoes chopped
- 8 ounces ditalini small shells, or another small pasta
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheese blend
- 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- Red pepper flakes optional
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Chop the Vegetables: Add the celery, garlic, and carrots to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, but do not puree them completely.2 celery ribs, 2 garlic cloves, ½ cup sliced carrots
- Sauté the Chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until the outside is no longer pink.3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cups boneless chicken breast
- Add the Vegetables: Stir the chopped celery, garlic, and carrots into the pot with the chicken. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften.
- Season the Base: Add the salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic powder. Stir well so the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Build the Soup: Add the rinsed beans, white wine, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chopped plum tomatoes. Stir everything together until well combined.2 15.5- ounce cans cannellini beans or Great Northern beans, ½ cup white wine, 1 15.5- ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 28- ounce can tomato sauce, 3 plum tomatoes
- Simmer Until Tender: Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fork-tender and the soup has a rich tomato flavor.
- Cook the Pasta: While the soup simmers, cook the pasta in a separate pot according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well.8 ounces ditalini
- Add the Pasta: Fold the cooked pasta into the soup right before serving. This keeps the pasta from soaking up too much liquid and turning mushy.
- Serve with Cheese: Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each serving with the Pecorino Romano and Parmesan blend, shredded mozzarella, red pepper flakes if using, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.½ cup grated Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheese blend, 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, Red pepper flakes, Extra virgin olive oil
Chicken Pasta Fagioli Soup Without the Soup Drama
This is the part where we make the recipe harder to mess up. Not impossible, because kitchens are chaos, but harder.
Cook the Pasta Separately, Unless You Enjoy Pasta Cement
I know one-pot recipes sound romantic, but pasta keeps drinking liquid like it has been lost in the desert. Cook it separately and stir it in right before serving. This is the difference between soup and a pot of tomato-flavored paste.
Use Rotisserie Chicken When Life Is Being Rude
If you do not feel like cubing and sautéing chicken, use shredded rotisserie chicken. Add it near the end so it warms through without turning dry. Store-bought chicken is not cheating; it is time management with better seasoning.
Keep the Beans, Change the Mood
Cannellini beans are creamy and classic, but Great Northern beans work just fine. Navy beans can also step in if that is what you have hiding in the pantry. Just rinse canned beans first, unless you want extra salt and that mysterious can liquid joining the party.
Add Broth If You Want It More Soupy
This recipe leans hearty, which is polite code for “almost stew if you blink.” If you want a looser soup, stir in 1 to 2 cups of chicken broth while it simmers. There is no award for making soup so thick a spoon can stand up in it.
Do Not Skip the Cheese Finish
The grated Parmesan and Pecorino give the soup that salty, sharp, Italian-American comfort thing that makes the bowl feel complete. Mozzarella on top is optional, technically, but so is happiness. Let it melt slightly before serving if you want the full chicken parm effect.
Use the Small Pasta You Already Have
Ditalini is perfect here, but small shells, elbows, or broken spaghetti all work. The point is small pasta that fits on a spoon and does not fight you at dinner. Save the long noodles for a different night unless you want soup splatter on your shirt, which is very on-brand but unnecessary.
Fresh Tomatoes Are Nice, Canned Tomatoes Are Reliable
Fresh plum tomatoes are great when they actually taste like tomatoes. The rest of the year, canned tomatoes are usually the adult in the room. If your fresh tomatoes are pale and sad, skip them or swap in extra diced tomatoes.
Let It Sit Before Serving
After simmering, give the soup a few minutes off the heat before you bowl it up. The flavors settle, the sauce thickens slightly, and you look like you planned it. Most soups improve when you stop bothering them.
Store the Pasta Separately If You Want Good Leftovers
If you know you will have leftovers, keep the cooked pasta in a separate container and add it to each bowl as needed. Otherwise, it will absorb half the soup overnight and turn into a casserole with trust issues.
Freeze the Soup, Not the Pasta
The chicken, beans, and tomato base freeze well, but pasta gets weird and mushy after thawing. Freeze the soup without pasta, then cook a fresh handful when you reheat it. Future you will be deeply smug, and honestly, deserved.
