Italian Sausage Pasta Soup is a flavor-packed winner with sweet sausage, a creamy base, tender pasta and veggies, plus tangy sun-dried tomatoes – pure comfort in a bowl!
Optional: red pepper flakes for serving, crusty buttered bread
Instructions
SAUSAGE: In a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add the sausage, salt, and pepper. Sear for a minute per side, then crumble and cook until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Keep 1 tablespoon of grease in the pot and drain off any excess. Don't wipe out the pot.
VEGGIES: Reduce heat to medium. Add butter, onions, carrots, and garlic. Sauté until tender (7-9 minutes). Sprinkle flour on top and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
DEGLAZE: Slowly pour in 1 cup of broth, stirring to create a slurry. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan as you gradually add the remaining broth.
PASTA: Bring the broth to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions minus one minute. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
FINISH: Turn heat to low. Add cream, kale, and sun-dried tomatoes, stirring well. Gradually add Parmesan cheese, a few tablespoons at a time, to avoid clumping. Stir until melted. Return the sausage to the pot, stir, and season as needed. (I typically add ¼ to ½ tsp more salt). Add more broth if a thinner soup is desired.
SERVE: Serve hot with bread.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Sausage: Quality matters! Choose mild or hot sausage based on your preference. If it's in casings, slice the casing and squeeze out the sausage.Note 2: Parmesan: Use refrigerated, sandy-textured Parmesan cheese for the best flavor and melt. Do not use the shelf-stable type! It's very salty and has less flavor.Storage: If storing leftovers, keep pasta separate from the soup to prevent the pasta from absorbing too much liquid and turning mushy. I use this to remove pasta and then store them separately from the broth and veggies. Reheat gently, adding a bit more broth or cream if it's too thick.Make ahead: If making ahead, prepare up to step 4, then remove cooked pasta and store in a separate container. Add cream, Parmesan, kale, and tomatoes to the broth. Stir through sausage. Store this mixture separately from pasta.