Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Parmesan Cheese
Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Parmesan Cheese is a family favorite at my house. It is a hearty soup filled with ditalini pasta, cannellini beans, homemade tomato sauce, homemade chicken stock, onions, carrots, celery, fresh oregano and thyme, and Parmesan cheese. Lately, this soup is on our lunch menu at least once a week. It’s that popular! Also, if you have some vegetable haters at your house, don’t worry, this soup still tastes great even if you leave out the garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.
The Equipment You’ll Need
- A Dutch Oven- I made this soup in my Staub Dutch oven, but any four quart pot will do.
The Ingredients You’ll Need for Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Parmesan Cheese
- Beans- Use dried cannellini beans. You could also use canned beans, if you prefer.
- Pomi Strained Tomatoes- These are my favorite tomatoes. I like them because they aren’t acidic like canned tomatoes. Also, they have no chunks or lumps, which is why my kids will only eat these tomatoes.
- Ditalini- This is a tiny tube shaped pasta.
- Chicken Stock- I strongly recommend homemade stock. My recipe is below.
- Oregano- You can use fresh, or about a teaspoon total of dried oregano.
- Thyme- If you don’t have fresh thyme, just skip it.
- Parmesan Cheese- This goes on top of the soup, but it’s optional.
How I Made my Soup
- First, I made the beans. Cannellini beans can take a long time to soften. Ideally, you would soak these overnight in the refrigerator, but I never remember to do this.
- Next, I made my tomato sauce. Since you only need a little bit of it for this soup, I freeze the rest of the sauce for other Italian recipes.
- Then, I boiled the noodles and cooked the vegetables.
- Next, I added everything to the Dutch oven and simmered it for ten minutes.
Although this soup has a few components, it goes faster if you already have some of the parts already cooked. I usually have stock, beans, and sauce in my freezer, and then I can make this soup in minutes. If you love soup, you should really try this delicious Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Parmesan Cheese.
Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Parmesan Cheese
An cannellini bean and ditalini pasta soup with a tomato and chicken broth base.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried cannellini beans, rinsed
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 box Pomi strained tomatoes
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. sugar
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. fresh oregano
- 1½ cups dried ditalini pasta
- 4½ cup chicken stock
- 1 cup each diced carrots, celery, onion
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Begin by making the beans: Place the beans in a three quart saucepan along with a few inches of water. Boil for ten minutes. Turn the heat down to low, cover the beans and simmer for them for about 90 minutes or until they're tender. Drain them and set aside.
- While the beans cook, heat one tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven on low heat and cook the garlic for a minute. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, sugar, a half teaspoon of the salt, a half cup of the chicken stock and a tablespoon of the oregano. Simmer uncovered for thirty minutes. Set Aside.
- Cook the ditalini until it's al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a second Dutch oven, heat the rest of the oil and cook the onions, celery, and carrots for ten minutes on low heat, until they're tender. Add the rest of the chicken stock, the rest of the oregano and the thyme, a half cup of the tomato sauce, the cooked ditalini and a cup of the cooked beans. You can add more beans and tomato sauce if you like. Simmer for ten minutes. Top each bowl with some of the Parmesan.
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcal
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Chicken Stock
Homemade chicken stock
Ingredients
- 4½ lbs. chicken breasts and wings with skin and bones
- 10 cups water
- 2 peeled onions
- 2 peeled carrots
- 3 peeled parsley roots
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 peeled parsnip
- 2 tbsp. garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh parsley and fresh dill
Instructions
- Put the chicken and the salt in a large, tall pot and cover with ten cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any scum that forms.
- Add all the vegetables and herbs and simmer for two and a half hours. Pour the soup through a strainer to remove everything but the broth.
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