Description
This hearty Italian Sausage Soup combines flavorful Italian sausage with tender pasta, a rich tomato broth, and creamy heavy cream to create a comforting, satisfying meal. Garnished with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, this soup is perfect for a cozy dinner and easy to prepare on the stovetop.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Base
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Liquids
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream, brought to room temperature
Pasta
- 8 ounces short pasta, such as casarecce
For Serving
- Fresh basil
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the sausage: Crumble and cook the Italian sausage in a large soup pot over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain the fat and remove the sausage from the pot using a large slotted spoon. Set the sausage aside in a bowl.
- Sauté the aromatics: Add olive oil to the same pot over medium heat and cook the diced onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add broth and tomatoes: Increase heat to high, pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cook the pasta: Add the short pasta to the boiling soup and cook according to package instructions until al dente, usually between 7 to 15 minutes depending on pasta type.
- Combine sausage and cream: Reduce heat to low, stir in the cooked sausage and room-temperature heavy cream. Simmer together for 2 minutes to combine flavors.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese as desired.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Add more chicken broth if the soup becomes too thick while cooking.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or a milk alternative.
- Use gluten-free pasta if you need a gluten-free option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
