There are a number of different versions of pasta e fagioli here in Italy. This particular recipe comes from Southern Piemonte (Piedmont), where it is known as ‘Perbureira’. This is the best Italian pasta fagioli recipe I have ever made.
It calls for two kinds of beans, cannellini and borlotti (cranberry beans), homemade egg pasta noodles and an accompanying garlic oil (agliata), to give it its characteristic garlicky flavor! A must for garlic lovers!
What is pasta fagioli?
Italians say ‘pasta e fagioli’, which translates to pasta and beans. This popular Italian recipe usually consists of dried beans, onions, garlic, carrots, some herbs, stock, tomato passata, pasta and in many cases a pork product like pancetta or cotechino (a large pork sausage). It’s usually quite soupy and therefore, eaten with a spoon rather than a fork.
However, Italian pasta fagioli ingredients can differ from region to region. Even the type of pasta used varies. Although you can find versions throughout Italy, this dish is most traditional in Campania, Lazio, Lombardy, Piemonte, Veneto and Tuscany. Perbureira is a unique version from Piemonte (Piedmont).
History.
Italian pasta fagioli is an ancient dish, dating back to Medieval times. Some food historians say that when Catherine de Medici travelled to France to marry Henry II, she took a number of gifts including a bag of dried beans.
However, I’m not sure how true this is as beans were only first brought to Europe from the Americas in the 1500s. Catherine became Henry II’s wife in 1533 and she was only 14 at the time!
Even if Catherine de Medici didn’t take dried beans to France with her, pasta e fagioli has long been a popular recipe for Italy’s rural population. In fact, it’s considered a classic in the Italian cucina povera or peasant kitchen from which many traditional Italian recipes originate.
People liked pasta e fagioli because they could make it with their own home produce or staple easily available ingredients. Plus, it was hearty, filling, and nutritious and cost very little to make! The same is true today.
Perbureira from Piemonte.
Perbureira is a typical Piedmontese recipe, in particular from the small Medieval hilltop town of Rocca Grimalda in the province of Alessandria. The name of this dish comes from a type of earthenware pot traditionally used to make it.
The traditional recipe for Perbureira calls for sheets of fresh egg pasta similar to lasagne which are cut into smaller pieces and then cooked in a sauce of beans (white and/ or borlotti), to which they add agliata (a mixture of minced garlic left to macerate in oil) before serving.
In Rocca Grimalda, the inhabitants hold a Perbureira festival every year on the last Sunday of August. This Italian pasta fagioli recipe is only made and served in Rocca Grimalda.
The people of this ancient town claim that their pasta e fagioli has a secret ingredient that nobody knows but themselves even though versions of the recipe can be found online!
This Perbureira recipe.
The recipe I followed and have published here I translated from this Italian recipe site.
Most versions of this recipe are very similar. The main differences I found are that some make this pasta fagioli with only borlotti beans. Others include lardo (pig back fat) along with the pancetta.
In Rocca Grimalda, they apparently include peperoncino (red chilli pepper) and don’t serve the soup with cheese. Of course, you can also add the aforementioned ingredients if you wish and serve it with grated cheese.
Ingredients for this Italian pasta fagioli recipe.
The Pasta: I made egg pasta noodles cut into short ribbons. Italians call this pasta lasagnette. However, you can also cut the pasta into triangles or squares like maltagliati. Alternatively, use ready-made fresh lasagne sheets or parboiled dried lasagne but cut them into smaller pieces.
The beans: The recipe I followed called for cannellini and borlotti beans. You can use both too, or just one type. I was lucky to find beans from Piemonte. Rather than soak them overnight I did a quick soak (see instructions below). You can also soak the beans overnight instead.
Pancetta: Pancetta is the Italian equivalent of bacon. Both are made from pork belly. The difference being that bacon is smoked, whereas pancetta is cured. If you don’t have pancetta, a fatty bacon is a good substitute.
Onions and carrots: These vegetables are cooked with the beans along with the bay leaves. They don’t need to be chopped, just peeled.
Herbs: Apart from the bay leaves this recipe calls for fresh rosemary sprigs.
Cheese: I added grated Parmigiano to this pasta fagioli when serving it. However, cheese is an optional ingredient.
Potatoes: Just one or two potatoes cut into quarters are enough here. The potatoes add more bulk to the soup as well as numerous vitamins and minerals. Waxy potatoes (boiling potatoes) hold up best in soups and stews.
Tomato passata: Italian tomato passata, also known as tomato puree, is just uncooked puréed tomatoes without any additives or flavoring. It’s used in many Italian pasta recipes and soups in place of fresh peeled tomatoes. However, you can also use the latter in this soup or canned peeled or chopped tomatoes.
Ingredients for the agliata (garlic oil).
Garlic: The garlic in this recipe is mostly used to make the agliata dressing that you drizzle over the soup before eating. Unlike other versions of Italian agliata, the garlic dressing in this pasta e fagioli recipe is simply chopped garlic and olive oil infused together overnight.
Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is best because most the olive oil goes into making the agliata, so it isn’t cooked. Extra virgin olive oil is jam-packed with antioxidants and heart-healthy fats. It also has a wonderful aromatic flavor which pairs so well with the garlic!
Ingredients for the pasta.
If you are making your own egg pasta you will need Italian ‘00’ flour, a pinch of salt and fresh eggs. I used 200g (7oz) of flour with 2 large eggs. This made enough pasta to serve 4-6 people.
Italian ‘00’ soft wheat flour is a finely milled flour that is softer than all-purpose flour, producing a smooth and easily workable pasta dough. You can substitute it with all-purpose flour if necessary.
The eggs are crucial for binding the pasta dough, giving it structure and richness. If you don’t have large eggs, use 3 medium sized eggs instead.
Step by step instructions.
The first steps to making this Italian pasta fagioli recipe are usually done the day before. These involve soaking the dried beans in water and peeling and chopping the garlic, which is then left to macerate in extra virgin olive oil overnight.
However, you can also prepare the beans by using a quick soak method (see below) and prepare the garlic oil just 3-4 hours before cooking and serving the soup.
The second step is to drain the beans and put them in a pot with fresh water, a peeled onion and carrot and the bay leaves. Season with salt and cook the beans on a medium heat for about one hour or until done. Check for doneness after 40 minutes. You don’t want mushy beans!
The next steps are to prepare the pasta if you are making the pasta yourself. Like other egg pasta dough types such as lasagne or ravioli, this involves adding the salt and eggs to the flour in a bowl or on a work surface.
You then mix the eggs and flour together until you have the start of a dough. After which, knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, roll it into a ball and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Once the pasta dough has rested, make the pasta ribbons as per the instructions in the recipe card.
Make the soup.
Once the beans are cooked, drain them and set aside. Save the cooking water and keep it warm over a low heat. Then cut the pancetta into small cubes and sauté it with one of the garlic cloves in a little olive oil in your soup pot. I used my Dutch oven.
Once the pancetta starts to brown, add the peeled and quartered potatoes, the passata and the rosemary sprig/s. Season and stir everything together, add two ladles of the warm bean cooking liquid and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Next add the drained beans and a little more of the cooking water. Mix, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add more liquid as necessary.
Cook the pasta.
Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Add half the pasta to the water and cook for just a minute (if using fresh or homemade pasta). Then with a slotted spoon transfer the pasta to the bean soup. Cook the rest of the pasta as above and transfer it to the soup.
Finally, stir the pasta gently into the bean soup. Add some more bean cooking water and continue to cook until the pasta is ready. Dried pasta will need to be cooked longer before adding it to the soup.
Serve with the garlic oil drizzled on top and grated parmigiano cheese if required.
Yes, you can make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the pancetta and using a vegetarian parmesan. Italian Parmigiano Reggiano is not vegetarian.
You can easily add precooked dried pasta to the bean soup instead of making your own. Alternatively, use parboiled dried lasagne sheets. Can them into smaller ribbons or pieces before adding to the soup.
Canned beans do work in this recipe but they will need less cooking time, so no boiling before adding to the soup. Plus, you will need to use a vegetable broth to replace the bean cooking water.
What to do with leftovers.
Leftover pasta fagioli can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days in a sealed container. You can reheat it on the stove top or in the microwave. However, the pasta will continue to absorb the 'soup' and may be very soft when reheated.
I don't recommend freezing leftovers which you have mixed with pasta.
Pin for later.
Let me know what you think.
Although I have made Italian pasta fagioli many times and in different ways, this recipe for Perbureira from Piemonte is definitely the best so far. The homemade pasta has a lovely tender texture and rich egg flavor. Plus, the added garlic oil makes this a must try for garlic lovers!
If you try this wonderful Italian pasta fagioli recipe, I'd love to hear what you think. Please leave a review/comment in the comment section below or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me.
Buon Appetito!
Italian pasta fagioli recipe (Perbureira)
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or large soup pot
- 1 large pot to soak and then cook beans
- 1 large bowl to mix pasta dough
- 1 pasta machine to roll out pasta sheets
- 1 tray dusted with flour for pasta ribbons
Ingredients
For the bean soup
- 7 ounces dried cannellini beans
- 7 ounces dried borlotti beans (cranberry beans)
- 1 onion peeled
- 1 carrot peeled
- 3.5 ounces pancetta
- 2 potatoes (medium) peeled and cut into quarters.
- 5.5 ounces tomato passata
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and 3 chopped
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper. to taste
- 6.5 flozs extra virgin olive oil.
For homemade pasta
- 7 ounces Italian 00 soft wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pinch salt
Optional
- 1.5 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 1 teaspoon peperoncino flakes (red chilli pepper)
Instructions
Prepare the day before or 3-4 hours before
- Soak the beans overnight or do a quick soak. This involves covering the dried beans with water in a pot, bringing the water to a boil and then turning off the heat and letting the beans sit in the water for 3-4 hours.
- Peel and chop 3 of the garlic cloves , then leave them to macerate in most of the extra virgin olive oil overnight or for at least 3-4 hours. Keep aside one garlic clove and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for the soup.
Cook the beans.
- Drain the beans and add them to a pot with fresh water, the peeled onion and carrot and 3 bay leaves. Season with salt and simmer for up to one hour or until beans are cooked but not mushy!
Make the pasta.
- Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and break the eggs into the flour. Use a fork to whisk the eggs and then incorporate them into the flour.
- Once you have the eggs and flour well mixed together, use your hands to start kneading the dough in the bowl.
- When the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl turn it out onto a flour dusted work surface and continue kneading until it's soft and pliable.
- Roll the dough into a ball and wrap it in clingfilm (plastic wrap). Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- When the dough has rested, cut off a quarter of the pasta ball and flatten it slightly with your hand or a rolling pin. Pass the pasta througha hand operated pasta machine at the widest setting (mine is 7).
- Fold the pasta in thirds and repeat. Then pass the pasta sheet through the next 2-3 settings. So, I used 6, 5, and 4. You don’t want the pasta to be too thin as it will get very soft in the soup.
- Place the pasta sheet on a flour dusted work surface and cut out strips of about 3-4 cms wide (1.2-1.5") and 15cms in length (6"). You don’t need to be exact. The important thing is that the pasta pieces are similar in size and thickness to ensure even cooking. You can also cut the pasta into triangles or squares.
- Repeat with the rest of the pasta dough. Place the ready pasta ribbons/pieces on a flour dusted tray. I like to use oven paper on top of the tray. Semolina flour is the best for stopping the pasta pieces from sticking to the paper or to each other.
Make the bean soup
- Once the beans are cooked. Drain the latter and set aside. Save the cooking water and keep it warm over a low heat. Then cut the pancetta into small cubes and sauté it with one of the peeled garlic cloves in a little olive oil in your soup pot. I used my Dutch oven.
- When the pancetta starts to brown, add the peeled and quartered potatoes, the passata and the rosemary sprig/s. Stir everything together, add 2-3 ladles of the bean cooking liquid and cook for5-10 minutes.
- Next add the drained beans and a little more of the cooking water. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add more liquid as necessary.
Cook the pasta.
- Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Add half the pasta to the water and cook for just a minute (if using fresh or homemade pasta). Then with a slotted spoon transfer the pasta to the bean soup. Cook the rest of the pasta and transfer it to the soup.
- Finally, stir the pasta gently into the bean soup. Add some more bean cooking water and continue to cook until the pasta is al dente. Dried pasta will need to be cooked longer before adding it to the soup.
Serve your Italian pasta fagioli.
- Serve with the garlic oil drizzled on top and grated parmigiano cheese if required.
Notes
Nutrition
Other soup recipes with homemade pasta.
If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or checkout some recommended pasta making tools?
michele says
This made an easy and satisfying dinner, with lovely depth of flavour. I used my InstantPot to pressure cook the beans (separately, as I wasn't sure about cooking time for each of the bean types), then used the sauté feature for the pancetta, followed by the slow cooker function for the simmer of the sauce. I unfortunately didn't have fresh pasta, but used Rummo dried mafaldene, which worked well when broken into shorter lengths. I have made pasta fagioli in various forms over the years, but this particular recipe is a standout, especially with the garlic oil, which was not too garlicky and added just the right finishing note.
Thank you as always Jacqui.
Jacqui says
Hi Michele. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this pasta fagioli so much!Using mafaldine is a good idea and yes, the garlic oil is definitely a delicious finishing touch!
michele says
This is next up on my cooking explorations with you Jacqui. I am just wondering how many grams of dried pasta I should cook to make the equivalent of the fresh pasta. Unfortunately my favourite pasta maker, my daughter, is busy with a toddler!
Jacqui says
Hi Michele, I'm sure you'll love this pasta fagioli with dried pasta too: Since it's a soup and filling on its own, you don't need the same quantity of pasta as normal pasta dishes. I would use 70-75 grams (about 2.5ozs) of pasta per person). Do let me know how it turns out.
Ramona says
I have made this recipe quite a few times now as I came across it some time ago. My kids can't have enough of it and we too. Such a great combination. Brilliant and delicious recipe. Thanks for this Jacqui!
Tammy says
Nothing tops homemade pasta! This looks absolutely delicious 😀 I have to make this soon!
Madelyn says
It was super flavorful and the perfect hearty soup for meal prepping on a Sunday for the week. This will definitely be one of my go to soup recipes.
Kristina says
This soup turned out perfect. We love garlic, so the garlic oil was the perfect way to kick it up a notch.
Veronika says
Between the pancetta, the herbs, and the tomato sauce, this pasta was packed with flavor! And it was my first time trying cranberry beans. I always learn something new with your recipes haha.
Molly Kumar says
Nothing like homemade pasta and this is so yummm!! Love the flavor combinations & adding pancetta makes it even more delicious
Leslie says
Yes, I absolutely love this delicious recipe! So perfect and garlicy..just amazing! This is the epitome of comfort food!
Mikayla says
I love homemade noodles to start with and then this dish came together so well, we loved every bite!
Savita says
This Italian Pasta e Fagioli recipe is a comfort food masterpiece! The hearty combination of pasta, beans, tomatoes, and herbs creates a soul-warming dish that's perfect for chilly days. Plus, it's so easy to make – a definite winner for weeknight dinners.
Yu says
This recipe is perfect for me! I love garlic and almost add it to most of my stir-fry dishes. The pasta turned out delicious, and the cooking process was super easy!