Description
A comforting and flavorful soup packed with creamy Parmesan, Italian sausage, and ditalini pasta, perfect for chilly evenings and cozy family gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound Italian sausage (beef or chicken)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it into chunks with a wooden spoon. Sauté until the sausage is browned and cooked through.
- Once your sausage is nicely browned, toss in the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook them together for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.
- Stir in the minced garlic, thyme, and basil, cooking for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Next, pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. After it reaches a boil, add the ditalini pasta. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the pasta is al dente.
- Once the pasta is cooked, lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly until the cheese melts smoothly into the soup.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley for a pop of color.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, swap the sausage for mushrooms or lentils. You can use whole grain or gluten-free ditalini pasta as desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 45mg