What You’ll Need
- Italian pork sausage. Use mild sausage for a gentler flavor or hot Italian sausage for extra heat. Bulk sausage goes straight into the pot. If using links, remove the casings first.
- Onion, garlic, basil, and oregano. Soften the onion in the sausage drippings, then add the garlic. Simmer the dried herbs in the broth.
- Diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Add the tomatoes with their juices for a little acidity. Chicken stock keeps the broth light enough for the cream and Parmesan to come through.
- Ditalini. These small tubes fit easily on a soup spoon. Cook them directly in the broth until just tender.
- Heavy cream and Parmesan. Stir both in at the end. Finely grated Parmesan blends into the broth more easily than coarse shreds.
How to Finish the Soup
Once the ditalini is al dente, turn the heat to low and stir in the cream. Add the Parmesan a little at a time, stirring until it melts. Taste before adding salt, since the sausage, stock, and cheese already season the broth.
Can You Cook the Ditalini Separately?
Yes. If you’re making the soup ahead, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl as you serve. That keeps the ditalini from soaking up the broth while the soup sits.
Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Ditalini Soup Recipe Card
A one-pot soup with crumbled Italian sausage, ditalini, and a creamy Parmesan broth.
- Prep time — About 10 minutes
- Cook time — About 35 minutes, depending on the pasta
- Servings — About 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian pork sausage, bulk or with casings removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices
- 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup dry ditalini pasta
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked to 160°F (71°C). Transfer it to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Add the onion to the same pot and cook until softened and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, chicken stock, basil, oregano, and cooked sausage. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the ditalini and simmer until al dente, using the package timing as a guide. Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick to the pot.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, then add the Parmesan gradually, stirring until melted.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.