Italian Alphabet Soup with Cheesy Soup Dippers

This is one of our family's favorite soup recipes! If you have trouble finding the alphabet pasta, look in the Mexican section of the grocery store. The recipe is from Rachael Ray's book: Cooking Rocks! It is in the chapter for kids ages 4-6 to make with a Grown-up Helper.

1 wedge Parmigiano Reggiano cheese with the rind on
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup marinara or tomato sauce
5 cups chicken stock
1 cup alphabet pasta
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (or 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 jumbo English muffins, cut open
2 tablespoons butter
Garlic powder
Dried Italian seasoning blend

Shred up lots of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for topping your bread dippers and for topping your soup. Trim off the rind of the cheese and save it—you will put it into the soup later, which will make the whole soup taste as good as the cheese.

Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in medium soup hot. Add onions and garlic and stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes—until onions have softened. Add the tomato sauce and stir, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, add alphabet pasta and cheese rind. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the pasta letters are just tender, 6 to 7 minutes.

While the soup cooks, prepare your cheesy dippers. Spread melted butter on English muffins (or sliced Italian bread). Sprinkle with lots of cheese and some garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Place in oven and bake or broil until cheese has melted. Cut the muffins into 2-inch strips.

When the pasta is about done, add the vegetables and a little pepper (and salt if necessary). Take the cheese rind out of the soup and serve.

Serve bowls of your Italian alphabet soup with a few dippers to dunk and extra grated cheese to sprinkle on top.