Creamy Parmesan Ditalini Soup
This is a rich and delicious soup that is also quick and easy to make. Ditalini is a pasta that is commonly used in soups; you could use any pasta, but this small sized tube pasta works great to mix through the soup.
You can make it for a meal or you can make as a side dish for an Italian dinner. This soup will serve 6 as a meal or 12 as a side dish.
Creamy Parmesan Ditalini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 # Italian sausage remove the casings if they have them.
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 small zucchini squash sliced thin
- 2-3 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup dry ditalini pasta
- 1 can 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes or one pint of home canned
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups fresh spinach or 1 10 oz package of frozen spinach chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Basil parsley, and/or Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Drain any excess fat if needed.
- Add the diced onion, garlic, carrots, celery and zucchini to the pot, and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (if using), cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and ditalini pasta. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, mixing until the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy.
- Add the chopped spinach or kale, stirring until wilted, for the last 2-3 minutes.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Garnish with chopped basil or parsley and serve with some crusty bread and a glass of wine.