Hearty Italian Tortellini Pasta and Sausage Zuppa
With the temps frigid cold in Chicago, we crave comfort food that warms your soul. Oddly enough I was in hot, hot, hot Phoenix, AZ when I first tried this soup – and in actuality, it is more of a “stoup” (Stew + Soup) when you get down to it – serve it as a hearty main course with crusty bread and a side salad. This hearty Italian tortellini pasta and sausage zuppa is so delicious and easy to make. You can make a batch for yourself and freeze the rest if you are cooking for one, or create this family friendly stoup on a stay-at-home winter day for the entire brood to enjoy.
Pesto sauce is the secret ingredient along with spicy sausage and a bit of bacon. A squeeze of my favorite citrus, lemon, gives it a beautiful brightness.
Let’s make it!
Ingredients:
5 slices of bacon chopped and reserved (1) TBSP bacon grease
1 pound spicy pork sausage
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
pinch of ground red pepper or red pepper flakes
48 oz (6 cups) of Chicken stock
handful of oil packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped with the oil rinsed and drained – about a 1/2 cup
1/3 cup of basil pesto
juice of one lemon
4 cups of chopped kale
1 pound of packaged cheese tortellini
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Make it:
Cook the bacon in a large pot on the stove until it is crispy. Remove from the pot and drain off all but one tablespoon of bacon grease
Add the sausage and onion to the pot and brown on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes.
Add the chopped garlic and celery to the pot with a pinch of red pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
Pour in the broth, one cup of water, basil pesto, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice. Mix well. Bring to a boil.
Stir in the kale and cook for 6 minutes or until wilted.
Stir in the tortellini and cook for 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add in heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Gently stir. Add salt and pepper to season, if needed.
Stir in the reserved chopped bacon pieces.
Serve the stoup with extra parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.
Every now and then a recipe comes my way that just never fails… and this tortellini pasta soup is now in high rotation in my kitchen. And after you make it, I am sure it will be on your menu many times too!
Buon appetito!
Tortellini Pasta & Sausage Zuppa
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon chopped and reserved (1) TBSP bacon grease
- 1 pound spicy pork sausage
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 5 gloves garlic chopped
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1 lemon
- 4 cups curly kale chopped
- 1 pound cheese tortellini
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large pot on the stove until it is crispy. Remove from the potand drain off all but one tablespoon of bacon grease.
- Add the sausage and onion to the pot and brown on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes.
- Add the chopped garlic and celery to the pot with a pinch of red pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, one cup of water, basil pesto, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice. Mix well. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in the kale and cook for 6 minutes or until wilted.
- Stir in the tortellini and cook for 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add in heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Gently stir. Add salt and pepper to season, if needed.
- Stir in the reserved chopped bacon pieces.
- Serve the stoup with extra parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.
