Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Parmesan Rinds

11/20/2025

As November comes to an end and the days grow shorter and cooler, the craving for something warm and comforting increases. Today we bring you the perfect dish for gloomy autumn days (though, truth be told, some people enjoy it cold even in the summer): pasta and beans with cheese rinds. Guiding us through this recipe is our Cesarina Giovanna from Trieste. Pasta e fagioli is one of the signature dishes of Italian culinary tradition, a simple yet flavorful first course, made even tastier in this version with the addition of Parmesan rinds.

Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Parmesan Rinds

A timeless Italian comfort food made even richer with Parmesan rinds

DifficultyMedium

Preparation time10h

Cooking time1h 30m

Servings4

€

CostLow

Ingredients

12 oz dried borlotti beans
Carrot, celery, onion, and garlic to taste
A piece of pancetta or ham hock
One small chili pepper
1 quart vegetable broth
Mixed herbs (rosemary, sage, basil, bay leaf) to taste
A little tomato paste
10 Parmesan or Grana rinds
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Soak the beans overnight, changing the water twice.
Boil the beans in water with peppercorns and a bay leaf until tender. Reserve the cooking liquid.
In a pot, sauté a finely chopped mix of carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and pancetta in extra virgin olive oil until golden.
Add the beans with their cooking liquid, a spoonful of tomato paste, herbs, and the vegetable broth.
Bring to a boil, then add the Parmesan rinds. Let simmer gently for at least an hour. If the beans are not yet creamy, mash some of them or purée half to thicken the broth. The consistency should be dense, with the Parmesan rinds soft.
Serve with freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Giovanna

Beans: origin and nutritional value

In the past, beans, like legumes in general, were considered the “meat of the poor”. After World War II, during times of economic hardship, families who could not afford meat relied on legumes to meet their daily protein needs. That is why pasta e fagioli was often found on Italian tables: it was a comforting dish that provided essential nutrients at a low cost.

Originally from the Americas (they arrived in Europe after Columbus’s voyages), beans are the seeds of plants belonging to the legume family and are among the most widely consumed foods in the world. There are more than 500 varieties, but the most famous are borlotti and cannellini. Their nutritional profile is excellent and perhaps it is no coincidence that they are widely eaten in the so-called “blue zones”, the areas of the world with the longest-living populations. Beans are rich in carbohydrates and protein, low in fat, and 100 grams provide just 106 calories, with an energy profile of 55% carbohydrates, 27% protein, 13% fiber, and 5% lipids.

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