Description
A cozy, comforting soup packed with Italian sausage, ditalini pasta, veggies, and Parmesan cheese. Perfect for chilly fall nights and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb Italian sausage (hot or mild, pork or turkey)
- 1 cup dry ditalini pasta
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 5 cups chicken broth (low-sodium preferred)
- 2 cups chopped kale (or spinach or Swiss chard)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Remove sausage from casing and crumble into the pot. Brown and cook through, breaking up with a spoon.
- Add diced onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened and lightly colored. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir, scraping up browned bits. Add chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes to meld flavors and tenderize veggies. Add red pepper flakes if desired.
- Stir in ditalini pasta and simmer for about 8 minutes, until pasta is al dente. Stir occasionally; add extra broth or water if soup thickens too much.
- Add chopped kale (or other greens) and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Turn off heat and stir in grated Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Ladle soup into bowls, top with extra Parmesan and black pepper. Optionally, drizzle with olive oil before serving.
Notes
For best flavor, brown the sausage well and use freshly grated Parmesan. If making ahead, cook pasta separately and add to bowls before serving to avoid mushy texture. Add extra broth when reheating as pasta absorbs liquid. Customize with different greens, sausage types, or add beans for extra protein. For a creamy version, swap 1 cup broth for 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 7
- Sodium: 850
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 16
Keywords: Italian soup, sausage soup, ditalini soup, Parmesan soup, fall comfort food, easy soup recipe, weeknight dinner, cozy soup