Name: Hearty Creamy Ditalini Soup for Chilly Nights
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups ditalini pasta; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 2 carrots, peeled and sliced; 2 celery stalks, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 4 cups vegetable broth; 1 cup heavy cream; ½ teaspoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon dried basil; 1 cup baby spinach; Salt and black pepper, to taste; Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Let's Cozy Up: When I First Made This Soup

Alright, so here's a funny thing—I once tried to make this Hearty Creamy Ditalini Soup for a bunch of friends after an unusually cold autumn hike. Everyone was windswept and in dire need of, well, anything hot. I didn't have half the fancy stuff recipes online called for, and yet somehow, it turned out so comforting that people were dunking bread in the pot straightaway. (Charlie still jokes about "that blizzard soup night.") Anyway, the point is—don't stress the details, just get to simmering if you're chilly. Oh, and don't be surprised if your kitchen starts smelling like an Italian grandma's on Sunday—sorry, not sorry!

Why I Always Come Back to This Soup

I make this when the temperature dips and the windows steam up from cooking, or when the day just feels long and I need a bowl of something that feels like a hug. My family goes a bit wild for it too—especially since ditalini is, hands down, my daughter's favorite pasta shape (I don't get it, but hey!). Honestly, part of why I love this recipe is because it's forgiving. I've burned the onions (oops), swapped out the cream for milk when the fridge betrayed me, and every single time, it still gets devoured. Plus, it uses up the odd bits of veg in the drawer—saving food and dignity in one go.

What's In It? Don't Worry, There Are Options

1.5 cups ditalini pasta (I've snuck in elbows when that's all I had. Works!)
2 tablespoons olive oil (my gran always swore by Bertolli, but, whatever's in the pantry...)
1 medium onion, diced (yellow, red, whatever you got)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or more if you don't have social plans soon)
2 medium carrots, diced (sometimes I use a handful of baby carrots chopped up)
2 celery stalks, diced (if you don't have celery, just up the carrots!)
4 cups chicken or veg broth (Boxed, homemade, or in a pinch, bouillon cubes + water. All good.)
1 cup heavy cream (milk works, half and half too—cream is just... creamier)
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded (optional—I skip if going veggie, or use rotisserie shortcut style)
½ cup frozen peas (or corn if that's what you got, or just leave it out)
1 sprig fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried (or whatever herb makes you feel fancy; rosemary's nice too)
Salt and pepper, to taste (be generous on cold days)
Parmesan for serving (sometimes I just toss in whatever hard cheese bits are left!)

How I Actually Make This Soup (Step By Step...ish)

Warm up a big soup pot over medium heat. Glug in the olive oil. Toss in the onions & carrots. Sauté until the onions look all soft and slightly golden. (They might stick a bit—just add a splash of broth. No panic.)
Add the garlic. Stir for like, maybe 30 seconds? (This is when I usually inhale the smell and think, why don’t I cook like this every night?)
Stir in the celery. Let everything soften up together, about 3 minutes. Sometimes I walk away and get distracted textng back, it’s fine.
Pour in the broth. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom (that's the good stuff!). Chuck in the thyme and season with salt & pepper. Bring it up to a nice simmer—not a wild boil, you're not making pasta here.
Toss in the ditalini. Let it bubble until the pasta is just about done, like 8-10 minutes. I taste-test a lot at this point. Probably too much—but can you blame me?
(If you want meat) Add the shredded chicken now. If it's cold or leftover, it'll warm through quick.
Turn the heat to low, stir in the cream (pause to admire that swirl, because it's pretty), and the peas.
Let it all mingle for another 2-3 minutes. Fish out the thyme sprig if you used fresh—it kind of freaks out small kids at the table if left in.
Taste, adjust seasoning if needed (more pepper? dash of cayenne?), then ladle out into bowls and top with Parmesan. Or whatever.

A Few Honest Notes From My Many (Somewhat Chaotic) Attempts

The starch from ditalini thickens the soup the longer it sits. If you like it soupy, add extra broth when reheating, trust me!
I find this actually tastes even better the next day. But, it barely gets a chance around here.
Sometimes, I skip the cream and just throw in a big hunk of butter at the end—totally rich, totally not fancy, totally satisfying.

If You Feel Like Switching It Up, Here’s What I've Tried

I once threw in kale for "health"—ended up with green bits my son picked out, but if you like it, go for it!
Using orzo instead of ditalini? It's just fine, maybe a tad silky for my taste, but still does the trick.
I made it with oat milk once. Wouldn’t repeat—just got weirdly sweet. Stick with dairy if you can.

What I Use—And What to Do If You Don’t Have It

Soup pot or Dutch oven: If all you have is a deep saucepan, go with it (just watch for overflows—been there, cleaned that).
Wooden spoon: Engineering not required. Use a spatula or even a big fork, in a pinch.
Ladle: Or a mug with a handle. No shame, mate.

Hearty Creamy Ditalini Soup for Chilly Nights

Keeping Leftovers: The Real Way

Scoop leftovers into containers with tight lids. It keeps in the fridge 2-3 days. Though honestly, in my house it *never* lasts more than a day. Sometimes somebody just eats it cold straight from the fridge—no judgement here. (And if you do want more on soup storage tips, The Kitchn has a good guide!)

When It’s Time To Serve

I like to top each bowl with a handful of Parmesan and lots of black pepper. When we’re feeling extra, we toast up some garlicky bread for dipping—my partner insists it’s “mandatory.” The soup’s great with a crisp salad or, honestly, just on its own with slippers and an old episode of Bake Off in the background.

What I Wish I'd Known—A Few Humble Pro Tips

I once tried rushing the pasta step and dumped it in before the broth was boiling; turns out, it goes a bit gluggy—better to wait for a simmer.
And don’t forget to stir often or the bottom will “catch” (my mum’s term). Trust me, so not fun to scrub.
Actually, I find it works better if you add the cream at the very end, after the pot’s off the heat—it won’t split on you!

Soup FAQs—You Asked, I Answered

Do I have to use ditalini? Nope! Use elbows, tiny shells, even broken-up spaghetti in a pinch. Once I used alphabet pasta and it was... kind of fun.
Can I freeze this soup? Hmmm—I’ve done it, but the pasta does get a bit mushy. If you’re planning ahead, maybe freeze the soup minus pasta, and add cooked pasta when you reheat, ya know?
What if I want it vegetarian? Totally works—just use veggie broth, skip the chicken, and load up on extra veg. Even mushrooms!
Can I make it ahead? Oh yeah. Actually, I think it kinda tastes better the next day, though the pasta absorbs liquid, so top up with a splash of broth when reheating. (I learned this lesson the gloopy way...)
If you want another creamy comfort classic, my favorite mac & cheese method is brilliantly explained on Serious Eats; trust me, go down that rabbit hole sometime.

Anyway, if you try my take on Hearty Creamy Ditalini Soup for Chilly Nights, let me know how it turns out—unless you add raisins or something, in which case, you're on your own!

Hearty Creamy Ditalini Soup for Chilly Nights