Chicken Pasta e Fagiole with Smoked Paprika Recipe

For a meaty and flavorful twist on the classic Italian dish, add ground chicken, pancetta, and smoky paprika.

By
Yvonne Ruperti
A photo of Yvonne Ruperti, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Yvonne Ruperti
Yvonne Ruperti is a food writer, recipe developer, former bakery owner, and cookbook author. She is also an adjust professor of baking at the Culinary Institute of America in Singapore.
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Updated May 01, 2024
Closeup of Chicken Pasta e Fagiole with Smoked Paprika, served in a white and blue ceramic bowl.

Serious Eats / Yvonne Ruperti

Why It Works

  • Cubed pancetta and a touch of smoked paprika add savory depth to the sauce.
  • Adding the pancetta, chicken, beans, broth, and pasta at the appropriate time ensures all are cooked perfectly (and in only one pot).

I've been eating the vegetarian version of this Italian dish for years. Pasta e fagioli simply means "pasta with beans." An old ex-boyfriend's mother turned me on to this simple, easy to make, and satisfying dish, as she made it for the family almost weekly. Kidney beans and canned tomatoes are simply flavored mostly with garlic and a bit of chili flakes (sometimes also onion, sometimes also oregano), and then cooked pasta shells are stirred in to finish the soup-like dish.

As much as I like the classic, I've gotten a little bored with it, so I took the core ingredients and added a little flair. To start, this wasn't going to be meatless anymore. I fried up cubes of tasty pancetta, tossed in onions and garlic, and then quick-cooking ground chicken. (Why not beef? Aside from this being a chicken post, the combo of beef, tomatoes, and kidney beans is too similar to a standard quick chili.) In went the tomatoes, the beans, and some extra broth for cooking the pasta directly in the soup.

The flavor still needed a little something more, so I pulled out my favorite tomato sauce secret spice: smoked paprika. I always sprinkle some into my meatless sauces. Its meaty, umami flavor was exactly the touch, even if a fusion touch, that I was looking for.

March 2013

Recipe Details

Chicken Pasta e Fagiole with Smoked Paprika Recipe

Cook 30 mins
Active 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 3 ounces pancetta, finely chopped (optional)

  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 6 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

  • 12 ounces ground chicken thigh meat

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (see note)

  • 3 cups low-sodium homemade or store-bought chicken broth

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1/4 teaspoon chile flakes

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) small pasta (such as shells or elbow macaroni)

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

  • Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

Directions

  1. In large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil and pancetta over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until pancetta is cooked and crispy, about 5 minutes.

  2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onions, and bay leaf to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, broth, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and chili flakes.

  3. Increase heat to medium high and bring to high simmer. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in parsley, and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Special Equipment

Large saucepan or Dutch oven

Notes

Garbanzo beans or white beans can be substituted for the kidney beans.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
548Calories
18gFat
65gCarbs
36gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories548
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g23%
Saturated Fat 4g19%
Cholesterol 79mg26%
Sodium 1106mg48%
Total Carbohydrate 65g24%
Dietary Fiber 14g51%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 37mg187%
Calcium 173mg13%
Iron 6mg35%
Potassium 1464mg31%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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