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I’ve decided to ring out the year with this recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta Fagioli, since it’s definitely feeling like soup season here in Phoenix.
Temperatures have dipped into the 50s during the day and 30s at night (brrrr) and Rod (along with several other members of the family who gathered together for Christmas) has come down with a nasty nasty cold. I’ve somehow managed to escape it so far and pray that my luck continues.
There’s nothing like a bowl of steamy homemade soup, especially when you are under the weather.
I ripped this recipe from a recent issue (not exactly sure which one) of Weight Watchers Magazine, which I adapted somewhat, using canned beans instead of dry, pasta shells instead of orechiette, and adding some carrots and celery.
Chicken Pasta Fagioli Recipe Notes
Unfortunately, I failed to notice that the recipe called for way too much pasta (a whole pound) which totally absorbed all of the liquid.
This could have been avoided if I had checked out a couple other recipes – (something I usually do) for comparison – like this pasta fagioli from SkinnyTaste or this Crockpot Pasta Fagioli from A Year of Slow Cooking – which both call for a lot less pasta.
Fortunately, I was able to fix the situation by adding a lot more chicken stock, but I’ve modified the recipe here, cutting back the amount of pasta to 6 ounces or 1-1/2 cups, which also shaves off a couple WW Points too!
We really liked the flavor of this Italian pasta and bean soup. The fresh rosemary, thyme and bay leaves were the secret, I think.
How Many Calories and WW Points in Crock Pot Chicken Pasta Fagioli Soup?
According to my calculations, each generous 1-1/4 cup serving of this chicken pasta fagioli has about 282 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
3 SmartPoints (Green plan)
1 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
0 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
7 PointsPlus (Old plan)
If you’ve made this Lightened Up Chicken Pasta Fagioli Soup, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta Fagioli
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground skinless chicken breast
- 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 large onions chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 32 ounces fat-free chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) whole Italian tomatoes, chopped
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces whole wheat pasta such as medium shells or orechiette (1-1/2 cups)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnishes: chopped parsley, grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and/or crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Use a 6-quart slow cooker (affiliate link) or cut the recipe in half and use a 4-quart cooker. This makes a big batch of soup.
- Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon (affiliate link) until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Put the cooked chicken into the slow cooker.
- Put the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves in a cheesecloth bag and tie to close. (I didn’t have cheesecloth so tied everything up in a clean empty paper coffee filter instead with good results.) Add it to the slow cooker.
- Add the onions, celery, carrot, garlic, broth, water, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt to the slow cooker and stir to combine everything.
- Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 6 hours on HIGH, or 6 to 8 hours on LOW.
- Twenty minutes before serving, add the pasta to the cooker, cover and cook on hight until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard the cheesecloth bag.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 3 SmartPoints (Green plan) 1 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 0 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 7 PointsPlus (Old plan) Add extra chicken broth when reheating leftovers, if desired. This makes a large batch. Use a 4-quart slow cooker (affiliate link) to make a half batch, if you prefer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Watch this video from Lidia Bastianich to see how she makes traditional Pasta e Fagioli:
Up at the top of the recipe for cook time it says 6 mins, but down in the directions it says 6-8 hrs
Thanks William, I’ve fixed it to show 6 hours!
Very good, I used my loose tea ball for the herbs.
Very good, taste like “regular” pizza dough. Had to cook a little longer because it is so moist.
Oh yum! -5 this am in Northern Michigan
I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Debbie
This looks really delicious! I’ve pinned it!.
50’s? It’s definitely soup season here in Central Minnesota. It was -13 last night. The slow cooker has been broken out a long time ago!
I know Christa. 50s doesn’t seem that cold. It’s amazing how quickly your blood thins out when you live in Arizona. I know it’s nothing compared to the cold of Minnesota, but it’s chilly to us!!