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5 from 8 votes

Marry Me Soup with Italian Sausage

This delicious Marry Me Soup is made with Italian sausage, pasta and spinach in a creamy sun-dried tomato broth.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: kid friendly, pork
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Ali

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage mild or spicy
  • 1 medium white onion diced
  • 1 small red bell pepper diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 6 ounces uncooked small pasta* (I used small shells)
  • 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves divided
  • toppings: black pepper freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Sauté the sausage and veggies. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage, onion, bell pepper. Sauté the mixture, using a wooden spoon to occasionally stir the mixture and break up the sausage as it cooks, until the sausage is browned. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, for 1 more minute.
  • Simmer. Add the chicken stock, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Drain the rest of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, then roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the soup. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Continue to simmer, lowering the heat when needed so that the soup continues at a low simmer (not fully boiling) until the pasta is nearly al dente.
  • Season. Add the cream, spinach, half of the basil and stir gently until the spinach has wilted. Give the soup a taste and season with salt and pepper and/or extra cream, if desired.
  • Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with your preferred toppings, and enjoy!

Notes

Pasta options: I used mini shells in the batch photographed here, which were so delightful. But feel free to use whatever small pasta shape you love best, such as ditalini, orzo or orrecchiete.