I will admit I altered the recipe quite a bit, but relative simple changes and this turned out great! This is definitely a quick fix and don't be fooled into thinking you must have all the ingredients - experiment a little! My recommendations for improvemnent: Don't use the recommended pasta. Try using a very small amount of fideo pasta (it plumps and absorbs a lot, so use sparingly to avoid a stew like texture) or you can also try 1/2 - 2/3 cup of mini macaroni (salad macaroni). The fideo and mini macaroni can be added directly to the soup during the last 20-25 minutes of simmer time. This elimates the need to cook the pasta separately. Also, omit the salt. Substitute chicken (or beef) broth/bouillon cubes instead of the water. I used 3 cups chicken stock (bouillon) and 2 cups water (which is why I omitted the salt). I also substituted one 15oz can diced tomatoes and one 15oz can of tomato sauce instead - definitely worth this alteration! I didn't have navy beans so I used a can of chickpeas instead. Be generous with the parmesean cheese - put about a generous 1/2 cup portion instead - this helped with the overall flavor! I've made it a few times now and each time it tastes better than the last - especially with the minor adjustments! Thanks for a great starter recipe!

Start by saying that I am 100% Italian. This is a recipe for pasta fagioli an Italian soup that means "pasta with beans". Pasta Fagioli does not have ground meat,carrots,celery etc. It has pasta, tomato and beans. By the way this recipe as it stands is very good.

I was really surprised by how good this is. I've tried a lot of pasta e fagioli recipes, and none of them have tasted like what I remember eating in Italy as a child--until now. I didn't experience excessive thickening of the soup, but I did cook it with a lid on. I do recommend doing this. It is very thick the next day, but this is expected with bean-based soups, and does fine with a little water added. Thank you for the recipe!

My husband and I thought this was delicious. Based on some of the reviews, I decided to reduce the amount of past to 1/2 lb. In the future, I would possibly reduce this even further to 1/3 lb. Other than that, I think that it is a great recipe. I make it again and again.

This was GREAT!!! I did have to make some adjustments b/c I only had a 40 oz can of cannellini beans, so I elimated the navy beans, and used the whole can. I also added 2-14oz cans of diced tomatoes, and 1-14oz can of sauce. Used chicken broth instead of water. Added a bit of crushed red pepper for some kick, some crumbled cooked bacon, and served w/ grated asiago cheese. ALSO, cook the pasta separately and run cold water on and allow to cool before adding to soup, so it doesnt absorb all of the broth!! Great w/ crusty bread and salad.

I have to give this recipe 5 stars because it's definitely the best recipe of it's type that I've tried, from several sources. I made a few adjustments based on the reviews...I added bite-sized carrots and celery to the onion as it was cooking. I added a 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes, and used 3 cans of beans: 2 red kidney beans and 1 can of great northern beans (comparable to the other white beans called for in the recipe). I used less olive oil to cook the onion, and romano rather than parmesean cheese. I also only used 4 cups of liquid: 2 cups of water and 2 of chicken broth. I think next time I'll use the full 5 1/2 cups of liquid, as my husband thought the broth was just a bit too tomatoey. I thought it was great, and I'll definitely make it again. I served it with the Garden Herb loaf from this site, which is a hearty, chewy bread and a great companion for this soup.

This was delicious. Based on other reviews, I added 1/2 package frozen spinach, chicen broth rather than water, and 1 can tomato sauce & 1 can diced tomatos. Will certainly make again!

For all those who didn't think this was "soup," try adding the pasta to each serving individually. That way the "soup" doesn't get soaked up. I cook the pasta, put it separate bowl at the table, or in a ziplock bag and add it as I prepare servings. I do the same with the cheese.

This recipe is good and basic and used a lot of ingredients that I always have on hand. I tried a variation by using a can of stewed tomatoes instead of the tomato sauce. It made the soup a lot more hearty. I also added a little crushed red pepper to give it a kick. The amount of pasta that the recipe calls for is way too much! Otherwise, definitely good for a good, simple meal.

I thought this recipe was great but needed some additions! I added 2/3 # of ground sirloin (browned), sliced carrots, sliced celery and I added one 15oz can of diced tomatoes (with juice) and one 15 oz can of tomato sauce instead of the large can of tomato sauce the recipe calls for. This turned out great and I also only used 1/3# of the pasta! Added extra parmesan too!