The Broken Scale · Good food. Plenty of personality.
Italian Sausage, Red Pepper and Spinach Pasta Soup
Italian sausage, sweet red peppers and fennel give this brothy pasta soup a savory base. Spinach adds color, and a little Parmesan finishes each bowl.
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Cook
- 30 minutes
- Total
- 45 minutes
- Serves
- 8 servings
Cook the pasta alongside the soup
Boil the small pasta in a separate pot according to its package directions. Add it just before serving so the broth stays plentiful and the pasta keeps its shape.
Build flavor with peppers and herbs
Soften the onion and peppers with the sausage before adding garlic and herbs. Lightly crushed fennel seeds reinforce the sausage flavor without a heavy sauce.
Better bowls tomorrow
Store leftover pasta separately when possible and add it to the soup as you reheat individual portions. Offer Parmesan at the table and taste before adding more salt.
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The full recipe
Italian Sausage, Red Pepper and Spinach Pasta Soup
Italian pork sausage and sweet red peppers in a fennel-scented broth with pasta, spinach and optional Parmesan.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian pork sausage raw bulk sausage, or casings removed
1 med Yellow Onion sweet, diced- 3 red bell peppers medium, diced
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 8 cups Chicken broth low sodium
- 8 oz small dry pasta such as ditalini or small shells; cook separately as directed
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt plus more to taste
- 1 tsp Dried Basil dried
- 1 tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed
- ½ tsp Oregano dried
- ½ tsp Thyme dried
- 1 tsp Sugar optional
- Ground Black Pepper to taste
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach loosely packed, roughly chopped
- Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta separately in a pot of boiling water according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. If preparing ahead, keep the pasta separate and add it to individual bowls at serving time.
- Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and break it into small pieces. After about 4 minutes, add the onion and red peppers. Continue cooking for 7–10 minutes until the vegetables soften and the sausage reaches 160°F (71°C), checked with a food thermometer. Spoon off excess fat if needed.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir for 1 minute. Add basil, fennel seeds, oregano and thyme and stir briefly, then gradually add the broth, scraping up browned bits.
- Add the salt, optional sugar and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted.
- Add the drained cooked pasta and warm through for 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then ladle into bowls with optional Parmesan. For leftovers, add pasta only to the portions being served so it does not absorb all the broth.
Notes
This brothy variation uses 8 ounces dry pasta, cooked separately, rather than an unspecified package. It differs from the thicker homestyle frozen-noodle soup. Yield is approximately 8 servings.
Start with less salt because sausage, broth and Parmesan vary. Keep leftover pasta and soup separate when possible. Refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours and use within 3 days; reheat to 165°F (74°C).
