Description
This Parmesan Italian Sausage Ditalini Soup is a comforting meal that combines savory beef sausage with tender vegetables and ditalini pasta in a rich, cheesy broth. Perfect for chilly evenings, it’s a warm hug in a bowl that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound Beef Italian Sausage
- 1 cup Ditalini Pasta
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 2 Carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks Celery, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 4 cups Beef Broth
- 2 cups Fresh Spinach
- 1 teaspoon Dried Italian Seasoning
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
- Red Pepper Flakes, optional
Instructions
- Brown the Beef Italian Sausage: First things first, grab a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Place it over medium-high heat. Add your beef Italian sausage and break it up with a spoon as it cooks. You want to cook it until it's nicely browned all over and no longer pink. This step is crucial for developing deep flavor. Once it's cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving about a tablespoon of the rendered fat in the pot. If your sausage is very lean, you might need to add a splash of olive oil.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pot with the remaining sausage drippings. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent. Don’t rush this; softening the mirepoix builds a great flavor foundation for our soup.
- Add Garlic and Tomato Paste: Stir in the minced garlic and the tomato paste. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. You'll notice the tomato paste will deepen in color and start to caramelize slightly, which intensifies its flavor. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Build the Broth: Pour in the beef broth and the can of diced tomatoes (with their juices). Scrape the bottom of the pot with your spoon to loosen any browned bits – those are flavor bombs! Stir in the dried Italian seasoning, a good pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. If you like a little heat, this is the time to add your red pepper flakes.
- Simmer: Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for at least 15-20 minutes. This allows all the flavors to meld together beautifully. The longer you let it simmer (within reason), the more developed the taste will be.
- Cook the Ditalini Separately: While the soup is simmering, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ditalini pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta thoroughly. I prefer to cook the pasta separately; this prevents it from getting overcooked and mushy in the soup, especially if you plan on having leftovers.
- Finish the Soup: Once the soup has simmered and the flavors have deepened, add the cooked beef Italian sausage back into the pot. Stir in the fresh spinach and continue to cook for just a few minutes, or until the spinach has wilted. Finally, stir in about half a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese until it’s melted and incorporated.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Add a spoonful or two of the cooked ditalini pasta to each bowl. Garnish generously with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese. A crusty piece of bread on the side is always a welcome addition!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
Keywords: Don't overcook the pasta in the soup; cooking it separately is key to maintaining perfect texture. For extra umami, consider adding a Parmesan rind while simmering. Adjust the spice level with spicy sausage or red pepper flakes as desired.