Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli Soup is an Italian classic that makes a batch of a hearty soup with pasta and beans, all in a rich tomato broth filled with vegetables. Add a piece of crusty bread and you’re set with a warm, cozy meal!
If you're just getting started with Instant Pot cooking, this is an easy recipe to get you started!
Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup
I always say that any season is soup season but now, it’s really soup season! Harvest is over, field work has ended (praise Jesus!), and we are on the prowl for all things warm and cozy.
Making soup in the Instant Pot is one of my favorite things. From Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup and Instant Pot chicken corn chowder to this pasta fagioli, it is everything warm and cozy soup should be.
Friends, it’s time to pull out our electric pressure cooker, aka Instant Pot and make pasta fagioli soup!
This Olive Garden copycat tastes just as good as restaurant version, and you don’t even have to even try to pronounce it to your waiter.
I don’t know about you, but I never really know how to say properly pronounce this soup...is it pasta fazool? Pasta fah-joe-li? I don’t know.
I usually just mumble something and act really interested in the garlic breadsticks...
Anyway, this recipe takes amazing flavors of a classic Italian soup but somehow, makes them even better by cooking in the pressure cooker.
Oh, and the entire meal cooks in one pot! Things like this excite me.
That’s right, the protein, the vegetables, and a savory broth all cook together. I love making soup recipes in the Instant Pot.
A simple bowl of soup tastes like it was cooked together all day long. My heart feels homey just thinking about it.
And here’s the really big deal...you cook pasta right in the same pot. All at the same time.
It’s a beautiful thing...
This also means while the little noodles cook, they get to soak up the flavors right along with all their ingredient friends.
It also means, wait for it….less dishes to wash! #winning
Ingredients
- ground beef - I know some recipes call for ground Italian sausage, but I'm always looking for ground beef recipes because we raise it! Plus, making this soup recipe with beef reminds me of Olive Garden’s pasta e fagioli. Hey, when you’re here you’re family!
You could also substitute ground turkey sausage, ground turkey, or Italian sausage, if that’s your jam. - fresh vegetables - onion, carrots, celery go into the pot. If you’re feeling lazy (we’ll call it resourceful), you can usually find these already chopped for you in the produce section of your grocery store.
- minced garlic - I always have a jar of this in my fridge, though you can use fresh if you like
- chicken broth - I like to go with low sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock so I can control the sodium content and flavorings.
- canned tomatoes - we’re using diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for texture
- canned beans - Great Northern beans (also called cannellini beans or white beans) and red kidney beans
- seasonings - salt, oregano, basil, black pepper and dried thyme
- pasta - I used ditalini pasta which are small tube shapes. You may recognize them as a kindergarten craft supply...it probably came home as a necklace or something. Ha! You can also use macaroni or small shells in its place
- Parmesan cheese - for topping. I highly recommend this. If you have a Parmesan cheese rind hanging out in your fridge, you can add that to the cooked soup if you like. It needs a home, right?
How to make Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli Soup
Cook the ground beef and onion. Our ground beef typically has some fat on it which eliminates the need for olive oil. If you’re using super lean ground beef (or substituting turkey) you may want to add a tablespoon of olive oil or so to this step.
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Add the garlic and cook it just for a minute - or less. Burned garlic is no joke, friends. It’ll ruin your dish before we get started. So cook it just until it starts to get fragrant.
Everyone else goes into the pool! The beans, spices, tomatoes, broth...basically everything except the parmesan cheese, which we’ll use for topping our cooked soup.
Add the lid to your Instant Pot. Be sure you have the silicone seal in place before you do that. Set the pressure cook time for 5 minutes.
Keep in mind that the 5 minutes of cooking time starts after the post has come to pressure. There may be a 10 minute delay while everything gets going inside the pot. This is normal.
Once your cooker has counted down from its cooking time, let it hang out (naturally release pressure, so nothing for you to do quite yet). After 5 minutes, you can let any of the remaining pressure out.
Remember to keep the steam from going straight upward into your kitchen cabinetry. Your soup will be fine either way, but it’s not good for the wood cabinetry.
FAQS
Yes, you can! You’ll have to brown your meat beforehand, and boil pasta separately, Then add cooked pasta once the soup is done cooking and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Variations and Tips
- Add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes if you like a little zing in your soup
- Use ground turkey sausage instead of ground pork sausage
What to serve with pasta Fagioli soup
Honestly, this makes a hearty meal all in itself! You’ll never go wrong if you add some warm crusty bread though. And maybe a nice glass of red wine.
How to store leftovers
Do you know how some leftovers taste even better the next day? This is one of those recipes!
Leftover soup tastes delicious on day two or day three when you refrigerate it in an airtight container.
As the soup sits, the pasta soaks up some of the broth, so you may want to add a little extra chicken stock or vegetable broth when reheating it.
Or, eat it as more of a stew. That works too!
If you made this Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli recipe, leave a recipe rating or comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
Want to try another Instant Pot soup recipe?
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Bisque
Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
Recipe
Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Set your Instant Pot to the Saute function and add the ground beef and onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes, breaking into pieces, until the beef is browned and no longer pink.
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds, stirring. Drain grease if necessary.
- Clear the Saute setting. Add the remaining ingredients to the cooked ground beef and stir to combine them all.
- Place the lid on top of your Instant Pot and seal the vent. Press Pressure Cook and set the time to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Allow the cooker to do a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release to release the remaining pressure.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.
