Name: Pasta and beans with rosemary
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 bowls
Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil, divided; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 carrots, finely chopped; 2 celery stalks, finely chopped; 3/4 tsp fine salt, divided; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes; 4 cups vegetable broth; 3 cups water; 2 bay leaves; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary; 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 4 oz dry ditalini; 60 g baby spinach, chopped; 1/4 cup chopped parsley; 1 tbsp lemon juice

Pasta and beans with rosemary

Rosemary seasons the beans, with spinach added late enough to stay green.

Published October 21, 2026

6 bowls · Estimated 1 hour 5 minutes

Tomato soup with ditalini, cannellini beans, diced vegetables, spinach and chopped herbs.

Ingredients & method

Before you start: Prepare: 20 minutes Sauté and heat broth: 15 minutes First simmer: 10 minutes Pasta and finish: 20 minutes Use the listed ingredient state: dry, cooked, thawed, drained or squeezed. Times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.

Equipment: 6-quart pot; immersion blender

Need another measuring unit? Convert cups, tablespoons and teaspoons. Keep the ingredient’s preparation and the recipe’s stated amounts.

Check off ingredients and steps as you cook. Reset clears the check marks; quantities and instructions stay the same.

Method

Measurements: use the stated gram weights where given; do not replace them with a universal cups-to-grams conversion. Cups and spoons are US measures. Weights on cans refer to package contents before draining unless a drained weight is specified. Check packaged ingredients for allergens.

Heat 3 tbsp oil over medium heat. Soften onion, carrot and celery with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper for 8–10 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then tomatoes, broth, water, bay, oregano, rosemary and pepper flakes. Simmer 10 minutes.
Remove bay leaves temporarily. Add 3/4 cup of the drained cannellini beans and blend briefly with an immersion blender to thicken part of the soup; leave some vegetables intact. Return bay leaves.
Add remaining beans and pasta. Simmer, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender, about 12–18 minutes. Add spinach and parsley for the final 2 minutes.
Remove bay leaves. Stir in lemon juice, remaining 1 tbsp oil and remaining 1/4 tsp salt.

Recipe note: Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers; use within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F. Count storage from the original cooking date when using leftovers. Refrigerate perishable cooked dishes in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F; keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below.

Thicken only the portion meant for blending

Measure the three-quarter cup of drained beans before adding the rest. Remove the bay leaves before using the immersion blender, then blend briefly with the blade submerged so hot soup does not splash. You are thickening part of the broth while keeping some vegetables and beans recognizable.

Return the bay leaves for the simmer and remove them again at the finish. Keeping their position in the sequence clear is easier than searching for fragments after everything has been blended.

Watch the pasta rather than the clock alone

Ditalini thickens the soup as it cooks and continues absorbing broth afterward. Stir across the bottom during the stated simmer so the pasta does not collect in one place. Check a piece for tenderness before adding the final greens and herbs.

Divide the finishing oil and salt from the cooking amounts at the start so they are not accidentally used twice. For a planned leftover portion, expect a thicker bowl when reheated; loosen it gradually as needed instead of changing the written liquid quantities for the entire first batch.