How to Make Pasta and Beans

Name: Pasta and Beans (Pasta e fasiòi)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 40 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Ingredients: 14 ounces /21/4 cups/400 g dried white beans; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 4 fresh sage leaves; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 3 tablespoons finely chopped tomatoes; 3 ounces /80 g egg maltagliati pasta; Salt and black pepper

This variation on the classic pasta e fagioli is from the Veneto and calls for "badly cut" pasta.

By The Silver Spoon

10:00 AM EDT on April 17, 2025

Bowl of pasta e fagioli — Pasta and beans, the Italian dish known as pasta e fagiol. Photo: Matt Russell

Here is how to make pasta and beans, or pasta e fasiòi, a rustic-style dish of maltagliati (“badly cut”) pasta, in a hearty soup-style dish typical of the Veneto region, particularly during the winter months. The beans are soaked overnight, so leave plenty of time to prepare.

For those familiar with the southern Italian and Americanized version commonly known as pasta e fagioli (or even pasta fazool), this is essentially the same dish. Variations of soups made with pasta and beans hail from several regions of Italy, but this recipe comes from a cookbook devoted to regional Italian cuisine and represents the Veneto.

Adapted from The Regional Italian Cookbook by The Silver Spoon (Phaidon, US $59.95, 2025)

Pasta and Beans (Pasta e fasiòi)

Recipe by The Silver Spoon

0.0 from 0 votes

Cuisine: Italian

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

minutes

Ingredients

14 ounces 14 /21/4 cups/400 g dried white beans
3 tablespoons 3 extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
4 4 fresh sage leaves
1 clove 1 garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons 3 finely chopped tomatoes
3 ounces 3 /80 g egg maltagliati pasta
Salt and black pepper

Directions

Soak the beans in a large bowl of water overnight. The next day, drain and cook them in a large saucepan of water for 2 hours, or until tender. Drain the beans, transfer half of them to a blender or food processor, and blend to a purée. Set the other beans aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the sage and crushed garlic, and fry for 2 minutes. Add the puréed beans, about 50 fl oz/6 cups/1.5 liters water, and the chopped tomatoes. Season sparingly with salt and cook for 30 minutes.
Add the whole beans followed by the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes. The bean mixture should have quite a thick consistency. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve the pasta e fasiòi hot, warm, or cold—the dish is delicious any which way—and always with a drizzle of oil.