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).
