This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Made with humble ingredients and ready in 30 minutes, Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli is a flavorful, hearty, tomato-based Italian soup filled with pasta and beans. It is guaranteed to warm you to your core!
I am back with yet another Olive Garden Copycat recipe. And just like my recipes for Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana, Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and Instant Pot Minestrone, this recipe for Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli is better than the original!
Pasta Fagioli, or Pasta e Fagioli is pronounced pasta fazool and translates to pasta and beans. This tomato-based soup is rich, hearty, and filled with, you guessed it, pasta and beans! And this healthy family dinner recipe is super easy to make using the Instant Pot!
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli
- Quick and Hearty Vegetarian Dinner Recipe. Made in just about 30 minutes and filled with pasta and beans, this soup is filling and nourishing.
- Inexpensive Recipe. This classic Italian soup is made with simple, inexpensive ingredients that you likely have on hand in your pantry.
- Picky-Eater Approved. While the broth is richly flavored, Pasta Fagioli is made with rather simple ingredients and unlike Minestrone this soup is not filled with veggies like spinach and zucchini that picky eaters may refuse to eat.
Notes on Ingredients and Equipment
- Aromatics: A yellow onion, celery, carrots, and garlic help to build layers of flavor in the Pasta Fagioli. Feel free to omit the celery if you don't care for it, but it adds a nice fresh element to the soup.
- Herbs: To season the pasta fagioli, use a combination of fresh rosemary, dried bay, and Italian seasoning. You can replace the fresh rosemary with dried rosemary if desired.
- Broth: Use low-sodium vegetable broth to control the sodium in the soup. If you aren't vegetarian, feel free to use low-sodium chicken stock in place of the vegetable broth.
- Red Wine: To add a rich, nuanced note to the soup, I love adding a bit of dry red wine, like Cabernet, Pinot Noir, or Merlot. If you don't care to cook with wine, use additional broth in its place.
- Beans: Use a combination of kidney beans and cannellini beans. Dark or light kidney beans work equally as well.
- Pasta: Ditalini pasta is the traditional choice for Pasta Fagioli. If you can't find ditalini, elbow noodles, orecchiette or small shells are suitable substitutes.
- Tomatoes: For the best texture and liquid content, use both diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Crushed tomatoes can be used in place of the tomato sauce.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Adding a splash of balsamic vinegar will make the flavors pop and deepen the rich notes in the soup. Feel free to use red wine vinegar in place of balsamic vinegar if needed.
How to Make Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Sauté Aromatics
Taking a few extra minutes to sauté the onions, celery, and carrots with garlic and Italian seasoning will help deepen the flavor of the herbs and veggies, in turn making this Pasta Fagioli soup much more flavorful.
Deglaze with Red Wine
Any time you sauté something in your pressure cooker, you want to add thin liquid and scrape up any browned bits from the inner pot. This will prevent a burn notice. For this pasta fagioli recipe, add in dry red wine (or broth) and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits off the inner pot, while the wine simmers.
Layer Ingredients
Once the aromatics have been sauteed and the pan deglazed, you simply need to add the remaining ingredients into the inner pot. Add the broth, vinegar, beans, pasta, rosemary, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce on top of the ingredients inside the inner pot, but do not stir--this will also help to prevent a burn notice.
Pressure Cook with Exact Timing
To ensure the pasta is cooked to al dente, cook the soup on high pressure for 2 minutes followed by exactly 10 minutes of natural pressure release.
Serve with Parmesan if Desired
If you aren't dairy-free, don't forget topping Pasta Fagioli with a generous amount of parmesan cheese. And while this pasta and bean soup is so hearty and filling it can stand alone as an economical meal, I love serving it with Copycat Olive Garden Salad and Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks.
Recipe Modifications
- Thick or Thin: For a super thick, hearty Pasta Fagioli, add a full cup of dried pasta. For a thinner soup, add ½ cup.
- Gluten-Free Pasta Fagioli: Barilla Gluten-Free elbow noodles in this recipe for Instant Pot Fagioli. Other brands of gluten-free noodles give off too much starch to work.
- Vegan-Friendly: Omit serving the soup with parmesan and this recipe is dairy-free and vegan-friendly as written.
- Add Meat: If desired, feel free to brown ½ pound of lean ground beef or turkey along with the onion, celery, and carrots until fully cooked, and then proceed with the recipe as written.
- 3-Quart Instant Pot: For a 3-quart Instant Pot, this recipe for Pasta Fagioli will need to be halved.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow any leftover Pasta e Fagioli to cool slightly and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer-safe container, leaving 1 inch of space for expansion. Freeze the soup for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: If needed, defrost the pasta fagioli overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat the soup, reheat individual servings in a heat-safe bowl covered with a damp paper towel in 60-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until warmed through, adding additional broth if needed.
More Cozy Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot White Bean and Kale Soup
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Instant Pot Cabbage Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
- Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup
If you gave this Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli Soup recipe a try, I would love for you to leave a review and comment below.
Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- 2 stalks celery, minced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ cup dry red wine, or additional broth
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ½-1 cup dried ditalini pasta, or elbow macaroni (see note)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 (15.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce, or crushed tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese and parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to the instant pot and let it heat for a few seconds, then add 1 large yellow onion (minced), 2 stalks celery (minced), and 2 medium carrots (diced). Sauté for about 2-3 minutes, or until the onion softens. Add in 4 cloves garlic (minced), 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and allow to sauté for 30-60 seconds just to toast.
- Add ½ cup dry red wine (or additional broth), and using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits off the inner pot. Let the wine bubble for a minute and then hit cancel on the inner pot to turn off the sauté function.
- Add the 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 2 dried bay leaves, 1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed), and 1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans (drained and rinsed), and stir to combine. Add ½-1 cup dried ditalini pasta (use more or less for thin/thicker soup), and gently stir to combine. Pour 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce and 1 (15.5 oz) can diced tomatoes on top of the ingredients inside the inner pot, but do not stir!
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, be sure the vent knob is sealed or locked, and using the manual or pressure cook setting, set it to cook on high pressure for 2 minutes.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release of the remaining pressure if needed.
- Carefully remove the lid from the instant pot, stir the soup, removing the bay leaves and rosemary.
- Serve with lots of parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! Just a bit spicier than your instant pot minestrone soup with a different flavor profile from the pure tomato products vs the marinara sauce in your minestrone soup. I chopped up half of a yellow bell pepper and a few sun dried tomatoes languishing in the back of the cupboard and tossed them in. As with your minestrone, I stir a handful of fresh spinach into each bowl when serving to add nutrition without it overcooking when reheating. If I had a Parmesan rind, I’d have tossed that in the pot as well, but for now, the handed grated parm is doing the trick.
Hi Laurie! I love hearing you enjoy this soup (and the minestrone). I also appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and share your modifications 🙂
This was the first recipe I made in my new Instant Pot RIO. I’m glad I had all the ingredients prepped and ready to go. It was so delicious. My only “incident” was that I set the timer for 2 hours instead of 2 minutes! After I panicked, I turned the Pot off and followed the instructions for releasing the pressure. I plan to share some of the soup with neighbors
Hi Linda! Getting used to using a new appliance can be tricky, but you handled your "misstep" beautifully. Thanks for sharing your review. I hope you find many more recipes here to enjoy!
I'm giving it a 4 only because I'm making it today. Instruction #1 you say to add the salt, garlic and oregano. In the listed ingredients, oregano isn't listed. So, how much oregano should I add? I won't be adding it this time, but next time I need to know the measurement. It's sounds delicious and looks great. My husband loves Pasta Fagioli.
Thanks in advance for answering.
Hi Carol! First of all, I am so glad you enjoyed the soup. As for the oregano, this recipe calls for Italian seasoning (2 teaspoons) not oregano. I am sorry for any confusion on that. If desired, use 1-1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano in place of Italian seasoning.
A wonderful fagioli. I used a cup of the pasta but it wasn't as thick as I wanted. Any thoughts for adding 1 1/2 cups or would that be too much pasta? Or, adding tomato paste? I like the broth, but husband likes it thicker. He did say it was mighty tasty. Looking forward to making the Black Bean soup and all your other recipes.
Thanks again Kristen for all the hard work you do on the website and especially youtube. I know how time consuming it can be.
Hi Carol! Thank you for your kind words! I love hearing you and your husband enjoyed the soup 🙂 For a really thick Fagioli I would either decrease the broth to 5 cups or go ahead and use 1-1/2 cups of pasta, knowing the soup will be quite thick.
Hi Kristen! A few months ago, I received my IP. Initially, I couldn't even take it out of the box! To say I was somewhat terrified of it is an understatement! It was how I felt every time my mom took her pressure cooker out of the cupboard. Chilling! :-O I watched your Instant Pot 101 video, and you calmly and confidently instructed how to easily use this amazing piece of kitchen equipment. I have been obsessed with it ever since! So thank you for that! And now, your recipe for Instant Pot Pasta e fagioli. I have made this recipe at least 4 times in the last few months (it was the first of your recipes that I prepared), and my husband and I adore it. I make the entire recipe and bag up the left overs for freezer/lunch meals. The seasonings are so well balanced with a lovely depth of flavor...it is so dang good! So again, thank you! This soup is permanently in our meal rotation. Happy birthday, you're the best!
I absolutely love hearing I helped overcome your fear of the Instant Pot. And that you are enjoying my recipes. Thanks so much for taking the time to share.
Do you have a Pasta Fagioli receipe for crock pot or stove top?
Hi Kate! I don't at this time. However, you can use my Crockpot Minestrone as a base. Combine all ingredients (but the pasta) in the base of a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Turn the slow cooker to high. Add in the pasta and cook for 20-30 minutes until pasta is tender.
I also would like to know if this can be made with an instant pot. Looks yummy!!
Hi Sylvia! This is a recipe designed for an Instant Pot--are you asking if it can be without an Instant Pot?
To say I am obsessed would be an understatement. I WILL be making this again...probably later this week ahah! I love it.
YAY! I love hearing this recipe has quickly become a favorite for you!
I have been using my instant pot so much lately & this recipe has been one of them!! My family loves it! It's hearty & so full of flavor!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review 🙂 I am so happy to hear you are loving your Instant Pot as well.
Made this recipe one night. The blend of beans, pasta, and veggies in a rich broth is perfect comfort food. Easy, and the result is delicious. A new favorite for sure!