This Vegan Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli is a simple but satisfying dish made with a tomato based broth, veggies, and beans. Serve over your favorite small pasta for a deliciously comforting meal!
This post may contain affiliate links. Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.
It's not often that I get to have a friendly conversation with a reader through e-mail. These days, I usually interact with people through social media. But I recently received an e-mail from someone who stumbled upon my Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Buddha Bowl recipe.
They were planning on making that recipe, but wondered if I had plant based slow cooker recipes I could share. As I scrolled through my archives, I realized that I didn't. Not one of my plant based recipes have been made in the slow cooker.
So I started brainstorming and Pasta Fagioli immediately popped into mind. This Italian dish (pronounced "Pasta Fazool") is made with pasta and beans in a tomato broth.
I remember my mom making this quite often. It was always such a warm, comforting, and filling meal. While Mom makes her Pasta Fagioli on the stovetop with bacon in it, I'm making a vegan version in the slow cooker.
Vegan Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli
This Vegan Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli is so easy to put together. Just add everything but the pasta to the slow cooker. When it's ready, serve it over cooked elbow pasta or your favorite small pasta.
Here's how easy this recipe is. Ready? Add all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, except for the pasta. That's basically it!
You can use a number of different beans in this recipe, but I had some big and creamy butter beans to use. I also added some red kidney beans. I mashed half of the kidney beans before adding them to my slow cooker.
Before popping the lid on top and setting the time and temp, season with salt and pepper. If desired, add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Then, give everything a stir. Place the lid on top and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
Now, you could add uncooked pasta to the slow cooker about 30 minutes before serving. But Mom always serves this separately and instead spoons the Pasta Fagioli over bowls of pasta.
Keeping the pasta and Pasta Fagioli separate is also a good way to keep the pasta from getting mushy when you store the leftovers. When you're ready to eat, spoon leftovers over the pasta, heat, and enjoy!
Vegan Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli
Ingredients
- 1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 - 32 oz. container vegetable broth
- 1 - 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 - 15 oz. cans butter beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 - 15 oz. can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1/2 medium red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: crushed red pepper flakes
- Cooked small pasta
Instructions
- Mash half of the red kidney beans.
- Then, place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, except for the pasta.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- Spoon on top of bowls of pasta and serve.
Notes
This satisfying Italian dish is easy to make, filling, and delicious! If you're cutting back on meat this year, this is a great vegan dish to add to your menu!
Did you make this Vegan Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli recipe? Share your pics on Instagram using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
