07/17/2026
Pasta e fagioli, which goes by the amusing nickname pasta fazool in Italian American slang, is one of the most internationally famous dishes in the entire Italian repertoire. Pasta fazool is a traditional Italian soup made with beans and pasta. It originated as a peasant dish, because it’s made with inexpensive ingredients. This dish happened to be the favorite dish of iconic Italian American crooner Dean Martin. He not only sang about it in his song "That's Amore," but he talked about how much he loved his mother's pasta fazool, numerous times in interviews. His daughter, Deana Martin, has also spoken about how much her dad loved pasta fazool and that it was by far his favorite dish.
INGREDIENTS
1 (32 oz.) can of Crushed Tomatoes
1 small can of Tomato sauce (14 oz.)
1 Sweet Vidalia Onion, chopped
9 cloves Garlic, sliced thin
1 can (14 oz.) of Cannellini Beans
1 can (14 oz.) of Butter Beans
1 can (14 oz.) of Dark Red Kidney
1 can (14 oz.) of Chick Peas
10 oz. of thick cut lean Prosciutto, diced
1 pound Ditalini pasta
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cups low sodium Chicken Broth
1-2 cups of Arugula
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh chopped Parsley
Fresh Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Sauté onion, garlic and prosciutto in the olive oil for 4-5 minutes on medium heat, till onion begins to soften and prosciutto begins to brown.
2. Add crushed tomatoes and sauce and cover, reducing heat to a simmer.
3. Meanwhile rinse off canned beans in a colander, then add to the pot, simmering for 20 minutes.
4. While the soup simmers; bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta till al dente, follow the box directions.
5. Reserve 1 cup of pasta liquid and drain; then add pasta & reserved cooking liquid to the beans and sauce mixture, stirring on low heat.
6. Add salt, pepper, parsley and arugula to the pot; adjusting the salt or pepper to personal tastes, also add 2-3 tablespoons grated cheese at this time and mix well.
7. Let stand on low heat for 5-10 minutes to meld flavors; if it's too thick you may add some Chicken broth, a little at a time, to reach your desired consistency.
8. Serve while hot with crusty Italian bread and butter.
(This is not his mother‘s recipe.)
