This brothy cavatelli with sundried tomatoes will easily win your heart over – I know it won mine. It’s rich, but still mostly plant-based. It’s creamy, it’s easy, it’s packed with nutrition and it is also filled with perfect little parcels of al dente pasta. What’s not to love?
Plus, the addition of a whole jar of sun dried tomatoes (you heard me, the whole jar) adds an umami richness and slight tomato-ey acidity that makes eating this soup feel like eating your favorite pasta dish. It’s wholesome, comforting, and exactly what I want when I’m looking to make a weeknight dinner or a meal-prep lunch.
Table of contents
The key to a good pasta soup
Before we dive into the recipe, we need to discuss the key to a good pasta soup. Call it my ~secret sauce~ because I used to be a noodle soup hater (horrible, I know) but after cooking one-too-may soups, I found what really makes a pasta soup amazing, and it might surprise you.
In most soups, you want the cook time HIGH. You want the soup to simmer low and slow until you have nothing left but layers and layers of amazing flavor. But in a cavatelli soup like this brothy cavatelli with sun-dried tomatoes, I’ve found it’s the exact opposite. I want my cook time to be lower so that my pasta remains al dente and perfect. Because mushy noodles are nobody’s friend.
But how do you do this without compromising flavor? That’s my other trick. I like to choose a star ingredient – in this case the sun-dried tomatoes – that will carry the entire flavor profile of the recipe, and then all I have to do is build around it. This star ingredient is what makes this soup so quick, so easy and so packed with flavor. And packed with perfectly cooked pasta 😉
Ingredients you’ll need for this brothy cavatelli with sundried tomatoes
So now that we’ve covered the secret – let’s get to what you will need. Here is the ingredients list:
- 3 small shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups kale
- 1 7 ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
- 1 tsp each of dried oregano, fennel seeds, dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 parmesan cheese rind, optional but really delicious
- 8 ounces dried cavatelli pasta
- 1 & 1/2 cups Pacific Foods Herb & Roasted Garlic Creamy plant-based broth, you can sub this for 1 & 1/2 cups of unflavored oat milk, but the broth adds an amazing layer of flavor!
- 1 lemon, for juicing
- 2 ounces fresh parmesan, for garnish
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, as needed
What other pasta shapes can I use in a soup?
Pasta-based soups are amazing because pasta is so versatile! If you are subbing a pasta shape in your soup or stew, I recommend sticking within that shape’s “family.” This means if you are using a short-style pasta like cavatelli, stick to other short pastas like orzo or macaroni. If you are working with bigger noodles like rigatoni, there I’d suggest going for bigger pieces like bowtie or penne. And of course if you are using a recipe with noodles, stick to bucatini, spaghetti, anything ~stringy~
For this recipe, orzo is by far your best bet. It cooks in the soup nicely and you won’t need to change the recipe instructions to use it!
How to make this brothy cavatelli recipe
When your mis-en-place is ready, this recipe comes together very quickly. The sun-dried tomatoes truly are the star, lending their oil to help cook the onions, and then the rest of their flavor to bind the recipe together.
Here is a step-by-step on how to make this brothy cavatelli with sundried tomatoes:
- Peel and thinly slice the shallots. Grate the garlic cloves. Finely chop the kale and set aside.
- Put a stock pot or high-sided sauté pan on medium heat. Pour in the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes (but not the tomatoes, yet!) and let it come to temperature. Add in the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt.
- Add in the oregano, fennel seeds, thyme and red pepper flakes and stir to coat. Add in the garlic and the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to toast the spices and cook down the garlic, cooking another 4-5 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and stir. Add in the parmesan rind, if using. Raise the heat slightly and bring the soup to a simmer.
- Add in the pasta and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the kale and simmer an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and has some bite to it.
- Pour in the creamy broth (or oat milk, if using) and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and remove the parmesan rind.
- Add the juice from one lemon to the soup and season again to taste.
- Portion into 4 bowls and top with a generous grating of parmesan and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve warm!
Substitutions for this cavatelli soup
Here are some frequently requested substitutions and what to use instead:
- Shallots – these can easily be subbed for a small yellow onion
- Fennel seeds – can be swapped for caraway seeds or omitted entirely
- Vegetable stock – can be subbed for broth!
- Kale – is easily subbed with any leafy green, such as swiss chard, spinach or dandelion greens
- Parmesan – can be subbed for pecorino romano or even feta if you are in a pinch!
Frequently asked questions
I love storing this soup in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for up to 5 days. You can also portion and store this soup separately for easy meal prep throughout the week.
This soup freezes well for up to 5 months. I recommend portioning it into single portions to freeze, and then reheating it on the stovetop until it is warm enough to serve!
You can easily omit the parmesan in this recipe to make it vegan. I also love using vegan feta or parmesan instead!
Unfortunately, the sun-dried tomatoes are integral to this recipe, so if you try it out, I recommend adding them to your grocery list!
Looking for similar recipes?
Here are a few other cozy recipes that might fit the bill:
And that’s it for this brothy cavatelli with sundried tomatoes & parmesan!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Brothy Cavatelli with Sundried Tomatoes & Parmesan
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 stock pot or high sided sauté pan
Ingredients
- 3 small shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups kale
- 1 7 ounces jar of sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
- 1 tsp each of dried oregano, fennel seeds, dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 parmesan rind optional, but really delicious
- 8 ounces dried cavatelli pasta
- 1 & 1/2 cups Pacific Foods Herb & Roasted Garlic Creamy plant-based broth you can sub this for 1 & 1/2 cups of unflavored oat milk, but the broth adds an amazing layer of flavor!
- 1 lemon for juicing
- 2 ounces fresh parmesan for garnish
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper as needed
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice the shallots. Grate the garlic cloves. Finely chop the kale and set aside.
- Put a stock pot or high-sided sauté pan on medium heat. Pour in the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes (but not the tomatoes, yet!) and let it come to temperature. Add in the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt.
- Add in the oregano, fennel seeds, thyme and red pepper flakes and stir to coat. Add in the garlic and the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to toast the spices and cook down the garlic, cooking another 4-5 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and stir. Add in the parmesan rind, if using. Raise the heat slightly and bring the soup to a simmer.
- Add in the pasta and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the kale and simmer an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and has some bite to it.
- Pour in the creamy broth (or oat milk, if using) and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and remove the parmesan rind.
- Add the juice from one lemon to the soup and season again to taste.
- Portion into 4 bowls and top with a generous grating of parmesan and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve warm!
What is the difference (if any) between vegetable broth and stock? I feel like I only ever see broth in the stores. Thank you!
There is a slight difference in preparation, but they can be easily interchanged in this recipe. You should be good to go with broth!
This looks so good and comforting! If I leave the Parmesan rind out would a little miso paste be a decent substitute? Or just leave it out? (and I’ll use a plant based parmesan cheese). Thanks!
I haven’t tested it with miso so I’d suggest just leaving it out 🙂 The sun-dried tomatoes will already have a lot of umami and saltiness, so it’ll be flavor packed either way!
I never thought to use sundried tomatoes in a soup before! Genius. I used the oat milk substitution because it’s what I had in the fridge, but I felt like I was missing some richness so I threw in a couple pats of butter at the end. Next time, I’d use 5 cups of broth and 1/2 cup of cream or half-and-half instead. Mine was quite acidic by the end so I skipped the lemon juice.
I have sun-dried tomatoes packed dry (i.e., in a bag). How could these be used in this recipe? I’m looking forward to making it soon!
Hello! Unfortunately only oil-packed will work in this recipe, since the oil is an integral part of the cooking process. While dry are great for other uses, they aren’t the best fit for this recipe.
This recipe is amazing. I followed as written. It’s easy to make and the ingredients are affordable, easy to find, and healthy too. It definitely deserves frequent rotation at our house. Meat eaters loved it just as much as I did. Fantastic!
I made this for my work lunches this week. Delicious! Thank you for sharing…🍲
Looks so yummy
I normally don’t leave reviews but this soup was SO GOOD that I have to. My local grocery store didn’t have the pacific foods broth, so I added 1/2 heavy cream and some water. AMAZING FANTASTIC DELICIOUS WONDERFUL!!!
*1/2 cup
I’m so thrilled you liked it!
Made this tonight for supper. Followed the exact recipe and added a toasty baguette on the side for dipping. It was enthusiastically reveived by my family and they might fight over the leftovers tomorrow! This is a hit and will be added to my regular rotation. Thinking about adding some white or pink beans next time. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this last night and it was so outstanding that I had two bowls and another for lunch today. It’s amazing!!! I didn’t have oat milk or creamy broth so I used almond milk (original) and it turned out nicely.
is it possible to make this in a crock pot? i’ve been dying to make it but all i have is a crock pot
I’m not familiar with all the functions of a crockpot, but is there a sauté function? If yes, then you can sauté the stovetop elements first and then put everything in to simmer!
I loved the flavor of the soup but really struggled with the oil content. Should I have pressed out the oil from the sun dry tomatoes before putting them in? I drained the tomatoes before but they released so much oil when I put them in the pan. Any advice on what to do next time?
What brand of sundried tomatoes did you use? I’ve found they are packed in the perfect amount of oil, but it might vary across brands! I love using Cento if you’re shopping around for different versions!
Thank you for this recipe! I made a special trip out to the store to get the Pacific Foods broth – I was curious what the difference may be. Delicious cozy dinner that we’ll definitely come back to again and again. Thank you!
Made this the other night and it was delicious! My grocery store did not have Pacific Foods Herb & Roasted Garlic Creamy broth unfortunately, so I had to use the oat milk but either way it was delicious!
So thrilled you made it! And I’m glad you enjoyed it with the oat milk sub 🙂
What store have y’all been able to find the Pacific Foods Herb & Roasted Garlic Creamy plant-based broth at? I have checked 3-4 stores with no luck. 🙁
I subbed out the pasta for pan fried gnocchi and it was DELICIOUS. My 3 year old also chowed down on this like crazy. Really- I’ve had so many good recipes from you. It’s not normally my thing to leave reviews, but I’ve been really impressed by your recipes/flavor combos! Thank you!
Ps I’m trying very hard to leave you a 5 star rating but the rater is glitching. Fingers crossed it goes through!
Omg thank you!! And there’s a glitch with the stars on Chrome, I need to fix it – but your kind words and your comment means the world!
I LOVE this soup, I want it to be cold and rainy every day just so I could eat this every night. Seriously such a winner. Hoping to find the Pacific Foods broth in store for the next time I make it because I can’t imagine it being even better! Shockingly fast and easy, nothing mushy, acidic, tasty, textures. With some crusty bread and soft butter? Heaven.