Italian
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Bulk Italian sausage is browned to 160°F, then tortellini, tomatoes, spinach, and cream simmer in the same pot. The tortellini cooks right in the broth.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Raw bulk sausage has to reach 160°F and lose all pink before the broth is added.
- Cheese tortellini cooks in the soup in the time the package usually gives for boiling, often about 7 minutes.
- Spinach wilts in the hot broth at the end so it stays green.
- Cream is stirred in off a hard boil so it does not curdle on the tomatoes.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the raw bulk Italian sausage and the onion.
- 2
Break the sausage up and cook until it is browned, no longer pink, and reads 160°F, about 8 minutes.
- 3
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning for 30 seconds.
- 4
Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- 5
Add the cheese tortellini. Simmer until the tortellini are tender, about 7 minutes, or follow the package if it asks for a different time.
- 6
Lower the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts and the soup is steaming, about 2 minutes. Do not boil hard.
- 7
Ladle into bowls and top with the parmesan.
Pro tips
- If you only have link sausage, squeeze it from the casings and treat it as bulk. Still cook it to 160°F.
- Do not overcook the tortellini. They go from tender to blown-open quickly.
- Taste before you add all the salt. Sausage and broth carry a lot of it.
Easy substitutions
- Italian sausage
- Mild sausage, still cooked to 160°F
- Heavy cream
- Half-and-half
- Spinach
- Chopped kale, added 3 minutes earlier
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days. The tortellini will soften as they sit.
Reheating
Warm on the stove with a splash of broth until hot, 165°F. Do not boil or the tortellini will fall apart.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 452
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Moderate · One Pan, Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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