Ingredients
Soup Base
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Sweet Onion, finely diced
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 5 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 cups Yellow Squash, chopped into ¼ inch cubes (about 2 squash)
- 2 cups Zucchini, chopped into ¼ inch cubes (1 medium zucchini)
- 2 cups Carrots, grated
- ¼ cup Sun Dried Tomatoes with the oil
- ¼ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 quarts Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- 1 Parmesan Rind
Pasta & Greens
- 2 cups Mafalda Corta Pasta or 3 sheets lasagna noodles, broken up
- 2 cups Fresh Spinach
Finishing Ingredients
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tablespoons Pesto
For Serving
- Ricotta Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Finishing Olive Oil
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
- Flaky Salt
Instructions
- Sauté Onion and Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the finely diced sweet onion, a pinch of salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add the roughly chopped garlic and continue cooking for another 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Cook Vegetables: Add the chopped yellow squash, zucchini, grated carrots, sun dried tomatoes with oil, Italian seasoning, and another pinch of salt to the pot. Increase the heat and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to caramelize and develop flavor.
- Add Stock and Parmesan: Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock and add the Parmesan rind to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil to extract flavor from the cheese rind.
- Simmer Pasta: Add the mafalda corta pasta or broken lasagna noodles to the boiling soup. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender and cooked through.
- Finish Soup: Turn off the heat. Stir in the fresh spinach, heavy cream, and pesto until combined. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly cracked pepper if needed.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with a dollop of ricotta cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, a drizzle of finishing olive oil, flaky salt, and fresh cracked pepper for an extra burst of flavor and creaminess.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- To speed up prep, use pre-grated carrots and pre-chopped veggies if available.
- If mafalda corta pasta is unavailable, use broken lasagna sheets or any short pasta.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes according to your preference for heat.
- The Parmesan rind adds depth of flavor but can be omitted if unavailable; increase parmesan cheese slightly instead.
- This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently and stir in additional cream if needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
