Traditional Pasta e Fagioli soup meets the Instant Pot for a fast and satisfying family meal.
Soups and chilly weather just go together.
If you don’t already have an arsenal of hearty soups to get you through fall and winter, you should definitely add Pasta e Fagioli to your starter list.
It’s hard not to love this combination of sauteed veggies, beans and sausage with a velvety tomato base and savory herbs to tie it all together.
The perfect potluck soup
In the Midwest, we love our chicken and noodles and potato soups. I mean, REALLY love them. (I’m no exception.)
What’s great about this soup though, is when I bring it to a potluck, there’s usually not another dish exactly like it.
It’s also a soup you can feel good about, with savory vegetables and a healthy base of tomatoes and bone broth.
You’re likely to receive verbal bonus points if you make some beautiful crusty artisan bread to go along with it. 😉
This post likely contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure for more info.
Pasta e Fagioli- Easiest version
One-pot meals are a lifesaver for this busy mom. I actually use my pressure cooker (the 8-qt Instant Pot Duo) about 3-4 times per week.
I used to make a slightly more labor-intensive version of this soup in a dutch oven, but once I started making it in the Instant Pot, there was no going back!
For this recipe, it only takes 2 minutes pressure-cook time to meld together the flavors, thicken the sauce and cook the pasta through.
I also love how easy it is to keep soups warm in the pressure cooker after they’re done.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot though, I’ve included directions at the bottom of the page for the stovetop and slow cooker.
• Read next:
25 Budget-Friendly Instant Pot Meals
Homemade Swedish Meatballs with Cream Sauce
How to make Pasta e Fagioli at home
Below are step-by-step instructions for making Pasta e Fagioli in the Instant Pot.
A printable recipe card is included at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork sausage
- 3-4 medium carrots, diced
- 3-4 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 16-oz can kidney beans
- 1 16-oz can cannellini beans
- 6 cups chicken broth (I use homemade bone broth, or substitute 6 cups water with 4 tsp Better than Bouillon)
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 2 cups small shell pasta (uncooked)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil
Instructions
1| Cook ground sausage in Instant Pot using Saute function, until cooked through, breaking into small pieces with a spatula or hamburger chopper. Add olive oil if needed during cooking.
2| Transfer cooked sausage into a bowl.
3| Add more olive oil to the Instant Pot and saute diced celery, carrots and onion on high setting for approx. 10 minutes or until tender.
4| Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
5| Add the sausage back to Instant pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, rosemary, thyme and 6 cups of bone broth (or water/Better than Bouillon). Stir to combine.
6| Add the 2 cups of uncooked pasta; stir.
7| Put lid on Instant Pot and lock into place. Immediately switch to Pressure cook function on high for 2 minutes, with a Rapid Release once pressure cooking is completed.
8| Carefully remove lid once pressure valve drops. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve and enjoy!
Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Quick version)
Pasta e Fagioli made in the Instant Pot is a filling, healthy weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Ground pork sausage
- 3-4 medium carrots, diced
- 3-4 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can kidney beans (16 oz)
- 1 can cannellini beans (16 oz)
- 6 cups chicken stock (I prefer better than bouillon paste + 6 cups of water, or use homemade stock.)
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 2 cups small shell pasta (uncooked)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil (approx 3 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Cook ground sausage in Instant Pot using Saute function, until cooked through, breaking into small pieces with a spatula or hamburger chopper. Add a tablespoon of olive oil if needed during cooking, to keep from sticking to pot.
- Transfer cooked sausage into a bowl.
- Add a few more tablespoons of olive oil to the Instant Pot and sauté diced celery, carrots and onion on high setting for approx. 10 minutes or until just tender.
- Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the ground sausage back to Instant Pot, along with the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, rosemary, thyme and 6 cups of bone broth (or water/Better than Bouillon). Stir to combine.
- Add the 2 cups of uncooked pasta; stir.
- Put lid on Instant Pot; lock into place and immediately switch to Pressure cook function on high for 2 minutes, with a Rapid Release once pressure cooking is completed.
- Carefully remove lid once pressure valve drops. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Stovetop Instructions:
In a Dutch oven, cook the ground sausage, then sauté the diced veggies as instructed above.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the dutch oven except for the pasta. Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, then turn heat to low and simmer for one hour with lid on.
Remove lid. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, approximately 6 minutes (depending on type of pasta used- time will vary).
Crockpot Instructions:
Cook ground sausage and saute diced veggies in a stockpot or dutch oven as instructed in Instant Pot recipe.
Transfer to Crockpot and add the rest of the ingredients except for the pasta.
Cook on high for approximately 2-3 hours, until sauce thickens slightly.
Add pasta and continue to cook on high for approximately 30 minutes, checking pasta halfway through for doneness.
You might also like:
Slow Cooker Meals you can Make Ahead
Green Beans with Bacon- Instant Pot version
Instant Pot Pork Chops and Apples
