Description
Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Ditalini Soup is an easy comfort meal packed with savory sausage and tender pasta in a rich Parmesan broth. It is full of quick dinner ideas and simple prep for busy nights while still feeling like the best cozy bowl. Serve it for a weeknight dinner or meal prep or a casual holiday potluck or party. With spinach and a balanced broth base it also brings healthy ingredients into a satisfying family meal that feels warm and filling.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 medium Yellow onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
- 5 cups Chicken broth
- 1 cup dry Ditalini pasta
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups loosely packed Baby spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon or to taste Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Break the 1 pound of Italian sausage into irregular crumbles and cook it with the chopped onion until the sausage changes from pink to browned and the onion becomes soft and translucent.
Keep the crumbles uneven in size and let some edges become deeper brown while the softened onion settles between the pieces.
- Add the 3 minced garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper to the browned sausage mixture so the pale garlic disappears between the crumbles and the tomato paste coats patches of sausage and onion.
Cook until the tomato paste darkens slightly and spreads through the mixture while the sausage shifts into a looser reddish brown arrangement.
- Transfer the seasoned sausage mixture into the large pot and pour in all 5 cups of chicken broth so the browned crumbles loosen and spread through the liquid while reddish streaks from the tomato paste disperse into the broth.
Bring the mixture to a steady simmer until the broth develops a warm golden red color and the sausage pieces shift naturally around the pot.
- Stir the 1 cup dry ditalini into the simmering broth so the small pasta pieces sink between the sausage crumbles and begin absorbing the seasoned liquid.
Continue simmering until the ditalini becomes plump and tender while the broth reduces slightly and looks fuller around the pasta and sausage.
- Lower the heat and stir in the 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup finely grated Parmesan so pale cream swirls through the darker broth before blending into a smooth ivory orange color.
Continue folding the soup until the Parmesan melts unevenly and the broth becomes visibly thicker while the sausage and ditalini redistribute throughout the creamy base.
- Fold in the full 2 cups baby spinach so bright green leaves initially sit between the creamy pasta and sausage before shrinking into darker tender ribbons throughout the pot.
Season with salt and black pepper while gently stirring until the spinach is fully wilted and the soup has a naturally uneven mix of pasta and sausage and greens.
- Scoop one serving of the fully cooked soup into a bowl so tender ditalini and browned sausage crumbles and wilted spinach remain visible across the thick Parmesan broth.
Scatter a portion of the 2 tablespoons chopped parsley over the serving and leave the surface naturally irregular with uneven pasta placement and small Parmesan streaks and varied color.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Brown the sausage until a few craggy edges deepen in color because those caramelized bits give the creamy broth more savory flavor.
- Keep the ditalini at a gentle simmer and stir often near the end so the small pasta cooks evenly without sticking to the bottom.
- Add Parmesan gradually after lowering the heat so it melts smoothly into the broth instead of clumping or turning grainy.
- If the soup thickens after resting add a splash of broth when reheating because ditalini continues absorbing liquid as it sits.
Storage: Let leftover Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Ditalini Soup cool before transferring it into a sealed food storage container and refrigerate it promptly.
Keep refrigerated leftovers for up to three days because the ditalini continues absorbing broth and the soup naturally becomes thicker as it rests.
Reheat individual portions gently while adding a small splash of chicken broth if needed so the creamy consistency loosens without becoming watery.
For freezing it is best to freeze the cooked sausage broth base before adding cream and pasta because freshly added ditalini and dairy give a smoother texture after thawing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 2 cups
- Calories: 690
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 1350mg
- Fat: 43g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 31g
- Cholesterol: 115mg