Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Ditalini Soup—basically a cozy, restaurant-style bowl with pasta, sausage, and a silky Parmesan broth.
🥣 Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Ditalini Soup
🧾 Ingredients
Main:
- 1 lb (450g) Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (only if needed)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water (or extra broth)
- 1 cup ditalini pasta (or small pasta like elbow)
- 1 cup heavy cream (or cooking cream)
Creamy cheese base:
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated works best)
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Optional add-ins:
- 2 cups spinach (or kale)
- 1 small carrot, diced
- Fresh parsley for garnish
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Brown the sausage
- Heat a large pot over medium heat.
- Add sausage and cook until browned, breaking it into small pieces.
- If there’s a lot of fat, drain a little but leave some for flavor.
2. Build the flavor base
- Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and chili flakes.
- Stir for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add broth & simmer
- Pour in chicken broth and water.
- Bring to a gentle boil.
4. Cook the pasta
- Add ditalini directly into the pot.
- Simmer until pasta is tender (8–10 minutes), stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick.
5. Make it creamy
- Lower heat.
- Stir in heavy cream.
- Add Parmesan gradually, stirring until melted and smooth.
6. Finish & adjust
- Add spinach (if using) and let it wilt.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Let soup sit 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
🍽️ Serving
- Serve hot with extra Parmesan on top.
- Crusty bread or garlic toast pairs perfectly.
💡 Tips for best results
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts smoother than pre-shredded.
- Don’t boil hard after adding cream (prevents splitting).
- Soup thickens as it sits—add a splash of broth when reheating.
- Spicy sausage gives it a deeper, richer flavor.
If you want, I can also give you:
- A restaurant Olive Garden-style version
- A thicker stew-like version
- Or a lighter, lower-calorie version
