My Go To Creamy Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

This creamy Italian sausage and tortellini soup browns ground Italian sausage with onion and garlic, builds a rich tomato broth, then simmers cheese tortellini and spinach in it before finishing with half and half. It is a genuine one pot soup ready in about 35 minutes, and it is exactly the kind of thing you want on a cold or rough day.

I am going to tell you how to make a pot of delicious and creamy Italian sausage and tortellini soup.

This hot bowl of soup is comforting and nutritious, and it also comes together quickly. Plus, I really love this, and I think you will too!

Why You Will Love This One Pot Sausage and Tortellini Soup

If you need a bowl of pure comfort that you can be enjoying in no time, this is it. I really love the combination of the cheese tortellini and the hot Italian sausage, and then the fresh basil and the creamy tomato sauce just really come through. It is an all around perfect soup that relies on simple pantry staples. You can use whatever stock you happen to have in the fridge, and it easily feeds a hungry family.

If you love a cozy, one pot soup like this one, you are also going to want to try my Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, another creamy classic that comes together just as easily.

What You Will Need

Special Equipment

• Large soup pot or Dutch oven
• Wooden spoon or heat safe spatula
• Cutting board and chef knife
• Meat thermometer, to confirm the sausage is safely cooked through

The Ingredients

• Olive oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 2 tablespoons
• 1 lb ground Italian sausage, hot or mild (if you buy links, remove the casings before use)
• 1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 handful fresh basil, rolled and chopped (if using dried, use about 1 teaspoon)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 4 cups stock, chicken, beef, vegetable, or pork stock all work great
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 package (1 lb 3 oz) cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups baby spinach, more or less to your liking
• 1/2 cup half and half
• Optional garnishes: fresh Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley

Let us Get Cooking!

1. Getting Started with the Sausage

Start by heating a large pot on the stovetop over medium high heat, drizzling in just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When it is hot, add in the Italian sausage and break it up with a spoon as it cooks. You can use hot or mild, whatever you prefer! Cook until the sausage is browned and reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C), confirmed with a meat thermometer, since browning alone does not guarantee it is fully cooked through. Once confirmed, add in the chopped onion and let it cook a few minutes until it is translucent.

2. Adding Those Flavors!

Next, add in the minced garlic cloves, along with the other seasonings. Add a teaspoon of oregano, followed by a handful of fresh basil leaves. A quick tip is to roll the basil leaves together before cutting to make them much easier to chop! Toss that right into the pan, along with some salt and pepper. Mix well so that everything is evenly seasoned. Then, sprinkle the all purpose flour over the meat and vegetable mixture. Stir continuously while letting it cook a couple of minutes to get that raw flour taste out.

3. Building the Broth

Now you can add in the four cups of stock. You can use whatever kind you have on hand like chicken, beef, vegetable, or pork stock. Follow that up with the can of tomato sauce. Give it a good mix and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes to let those flavors marry.

If you love a comforting, tomato-forward soup like this one, my Easy Tomato Basil Soup is another classic worth adding to your rotation.

4. Bringing It All Together

Now add in the cheese tortellini. Since my 1 lb 3 oz package is frozen, I turn the burner back up slightly so the soup continues to cook at a low boil. Let it cook just a few minutes, keeping in mind you want your tortellini cooked al dente. The tortellini will continue to sit in the hot broth after it is taken off the stove, and you definitely do not want it to overcook and break apart!

5. Add Greens and Cream

At this point, you can also add in your baby spinach. It looks like a large heap, but it will quickly wither down into much less. Once it does, pour in the half and half. Give everything a good mix and let it cook just a couple of minutes more until heated through.

6. Time to Enjoy!

Ladle the hot soup into bowls. If you want, you can sprinkle some fresh Parmesan cheese on top, or some extra fresh parsley, if you would like. Enjoy!

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Creamy Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Recipe by Sana Rei

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Dinner, SoupsCuisine: Italian, AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

450

kcal

Total time

35

minutes

A comforting, quick, and nutritious one pot soup loaded with hot Italian sausage, cheese tortellini, spinach, and a rich, creamy tomato broth.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Large pot or Dutch oven

• Wooden spoon

• Cutting board

• Chef’s knife

• Meat thermometer

• Ingredients:

• 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

• 454g (1 lb) ground Italian sausage, casings removed

• 75g (1/2) white or yellow onion, chopped

• 9g (3 cloves) garlic, minced

• 1g (1 tsp) dried oregano

• 10g (1 handful) fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tsp dried basil

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 24g (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour

• 946ml (4 cups) stock, chicken, beef, vegetable, or pork

• 425g (1 can / 15 oz) tomato sauce

• 538g (1 package / 1 lb 3 oz) cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen

• 60g (2 cups) baby spinach

• 120ml (1/2 cup) half-and-half

• Fresh Parmesan cheese, for serving, optional

• Fresh parsley, for serving, optional

Directions

• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and drizzle the olive oil to coat the bottom.
• Add the Italian sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks. Cook until browned and the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C), confirmed with a meat thermometer.
• Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent.
• Stir in the minced garlic, dried oregano, fresh basil, salt, and pepper.
• Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.
• Pour in the stock and tomato sauce. Stir, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the tortellini. If frozen, slightly increase the heat to keep a low boil. Cook for a few minutes until just al dente.
• Add the baby spinach and stir until wilted.
• Pour in the half-and-half, stir well, and cook for 2 more minutes until fully heated.
• Serve hot, garnished with fresh Parmesan and parsley.

Notes

• Storage: Tortellini acts like a sponge and will soak up the broth as it sits in the fridge. When reheating leftovers, splash in a little extra stock or water.
• Swaps: No fresh basil? A teaspoon of dried basil works fine. Any stock you have on hand works too.
• Pro Tip: Roll fresh basil leaves tightly together before cutting for much easier chopping.
• Do Not Overcook the Tortellini: Keep it al dente when boiling. It will continue to cook in the hot broth off the stove.
• Sausage Safety: Confirm ground Italian sausage reaches 160°F internally with a meat thermometer before continuing. Browning alone is not a reliable doneness indicator.
• Allergen Note: Contains dairy (half-and-half, Parmesan, cheese tortellini) and gluten (flour, tortellini pasta).
• Nutrition: Calories are estimated and will vary based on sausage fat content and half-and-half amount.