Roasted Garlic Pasta Soup

If you like send your little chefs to school with a hot lunch, a thermos of hearty soup is the perfect answer. We appreciate the recipe from PastaFits.org, sharing this roasted garlic pasta soup. It's full of healthy veggies and knock out flavor. Roasted garlic makes an intense base for this soup. The pasta adds a little bit of added staying power.  Add a few crackers on the side for some crunch, and you have made a hot, healthy lunch in a few minutes. 

I love that this freezes beautifully, so I can make it ahead and have smaller portions to offer my kids for lunch. 

Ingredients:

• 2 heads garlic (about 4 oz.)
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup/2 oz. finely chopped onions
• ½ cup/2 oz. finely chopped carrots
• ¼ cup/1 oz. finely chopped celery
• ½ tsp. thyme leaves
• 1 qt./32 oz. no sodium added chicken stock
• ½ cup/2 oz. ditalini
• 1 cup/4 oz. peas
• 1 cup/4 oz. asparagus, cut into ½” pieces
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Slice the garlic heads in half along their equator. Place together in a large piece of foil. Wrap tightly and roast until softened and golden brown (about 30 minutes).
2. While the garlic is cooking, start the soup. Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, and thyme until softened and just starting to brown (about 5 minutes). Add the stock. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the garlic and discard the skins. Stir the garlic into the soup.
4. Add the ditalini and cook until al dente (about 10 minutes). Add the peas and asparagus and cook another 2 minutes or until crisp tender.
5. Divide between 4 bowls and sprinkle with parsley.