Stanley Tucci's Pasta Fagioli

Name: Stanley Tucci's Pasta Fagioli
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, halved; 1/2 bunch cavolo nero, stems removed and just the leaves roughly chopped; 3 x 400g tins cannellini beans (720g drained weight total); 720ml (3 cups) chicken stock; 480ml (2 cups) marinara sauce; 450g spaghetti; Salt; Freshly ground black pepper; Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino, for serving

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When Stanley Tucci came on the Desert Island Dishes podcast a few years ago he told me about this amazing tomato and bean pasta dish that he cooks all the time. This is Stanley Tucci's Pasta Fagioli. It's not traditional and he adjusts it to his tastes and needs but it is so good. I now make it all the time and it’s so delicious.

You may have heard Stanley talking about his slightly more famous Spaghetti alla Nerano, which he spoke in his series Searching For Italy. This pasta might be the less famous brother of Stanley's pasta but it is super delicious and perhaps a bit more weeknight friendly.

Why you'll love Stanley Tucci's Pasta Fagioli

It has a little of everything in one meal - beans with protein, greens for vitamins, pasta for carbs, and it is so delicious too.
Simple to make, it just requires a little bubbling on the stove and a little blending before you have a perfect bowl of pasta.
The recipe is customisable. You can swap in ingredients to use things up, or change things up depending on what you like most.

You will need the following ingredients:

Onion: white or red, we use white but the beauty of this recipe is that it’s one that can be flexible to use up what you have in the fridge.
Garlic: I find 2 cloves is perfect here but you can adjust based on your tastes.
Cavolo Nero: this is an Italian cabbage which is dark in colour. Hence the word "nero" which means black in Italian. It's hearty and withstands heat (unlike spinach). Use kale or cabbage if you have them instead.
Cannellini beans: if you can, use good quality beans if you can as they make SUCH a difference but normal tin of beans are also great, of course.
Marinara sauce: this is just tomato sauce with basil, garlic, salt etc. We like this one or to be honest, good quality passata works too.
Parmesan: if serving for strict vegetarians, make sure to check the package on your cheese and adjust as Parm is traditionally made with animal rennet which means it isn't veggie friendly.
Spaghetti: untraditionally, I have used spaghetti here as I like how it makes this dish more a big bowl of pasta than a soup-style pasta which is typical of Pasta Fagioli. You could use other pasta shapes too.
Chicken stock: stock cube and water is fine. I love using Knorr stock pots as I find they have great flavour but are as convenient as a stock cube.

Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!

Substitutions and Variations

Onion: Use whatever colour onion you have. It would also work with a few shallots too. This is a great recipe for using things up so don't be shy!

Cavolo nero: If you can't find it, use kale or green cabbage even. I say kale is closest match though. You could also stir through spinach but it doesn't hold as well, so only stir through spinach in the final minute or so.

Pasta: I like to also make this with other shapes. A short pasta works such as a penne or orecchiette is great. Or a really small shape like Tubetti looks cute and you could cook that right in the pan rather than boiling separately if you were feeling lazy.

Here's how to make the famous Stanley Tucci's Pasta Fagioli

The full recipe is below but this step-by-step guide will help with some of the steps.

ONE: Pour a glug of the oil into a pan and sauté the onion and garlic over medium-low heat until soft, around 7 minutes.

TWO: Add the beans, stock, and marinara to the pan with the onion and garlic and stir together. Cook over low heat.

THREE: At the same time, boil the cavolo nero in a small pot of salted water.

FOUR: When soft, strain it, add it to the bean mixture, and stir. Continue to cook on a low simmer with the lid askew for about 15 minutes.

FIVE: Remove half the mixture and add half to a blender. Puree it then set aside.

SIX: Place spaghetti in a large bowl - add about 1 cup of the bean mixture to the pasta along with 1 cup of the pureed mixture. Add some of the pasta water if it needs it. Stir, season and serve up!

Cooking Tips

Cook Pasta Separately: To avoid mushy pasta, I do like to cook it separately and add it to the sauce afterwards. If you are using a small pasta like Tubetti, you could cook it right in the stock and it does work when you're feeling like a lazy dinner but overall I would say that cooking separately is best. If you're cooking this to prep ahead, only cook pasta for the portions that will be eaten that night. When you want more, I would cook more pasta and stir it in.

Season well: Since this is a simple dish with simple flavours, seasoning well is so key. Make sure to add salt and spices in layers - this means seasoning at each step. When the onions go in, when boiling the cavolo nero, when boiling the pasta, when adding the sauce. All need salt!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a blender for this recipe?

To make the sauce really thick and creamy (without the need for cream), you need to blend some the mixture of beans, tomatoes, onions, stock. So ideally yes, a blender is needed but if you don't have one, you can still just keep it chunky but it won't have quite the same texture. I would maybe reduce the amount of stock to 2 cups to begin with and then see how you go as you don't want it too loose.

Is this recipe vegetarian?

It uses chicken stock originally but you could very easily swap this for vegetable stock and you would have a delicious vegetarian tomato and bean pasta. Just make sure you check the label on your Parmesan too.

More pasta recipes you might enjoy

Pasta is my favourite, it just ticks so many boxes, it's quick and it's delicious. Sounds just fine in my book. I love Stanley Tucci's Spaghetti Alla Nerano, it's creamy and rich, but if you want something a little more weeknight-friendly, I like my Weeknight Creamy Courgette Pasta. It's still creamy courgette but no frying separately. Otherwise, this recipe for Buttery Creamy Lemon Spaghetti is light and simple, one of favourite. For a quick weeknight pasta, you can't go wrong with Chicken and Sundried Tomato Pasta, with spinach, basil and double cream. Or this Creamy Chicken Pasta is the easiest creamy pasta and it's so good.

Made this recipe and loved it?

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