A delicious and simple to make Italian sausage and Pasta Soup with plenty of veggies (clear out your fridge!), fresh baby spinach, and mini farfalle pasta. This easy soup is a recipe the entire family will love!
Pair this pasta soup with a hearty salad! This Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad, Italian Salad, or Chickpea Salad would go perfectly with this soup.
The Best Pasta Soup
Pasta Soup, being on the lighter side, features a broth base brimming with an abundance of vegetables. It includes sausage and pasta, which contribute to its ‘staying power,’ ensuring you won’t feel hungry just thirty minutes post meal. Additionally, dipping a good piece of crusty bread into this soup enhances its satiating qualities.
Quick Tip
Italian sausage differs from breakfast sausage, so ensure to check the label carefully. Purchasing sausage in bulk is convenient—simply add it directly to the recipe. However, if only sausage links are available, removing the casings before browning takes just a minute.
Ingredients
- Italian Sausage: Adds a meaty and tasty flavor to the soup.
- Mirepoix (Carrots, Celery, Onion): Gives the soup a sweet, savory, and aromatic base.
- Garlic: Adds a strong and nice smell to the soup.
- Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Bring a smoky and slightly burnt taste to the soup.
- Reduced-Sodium Beef Broth/Stock: Makes the soup liquid and meaty.
- Seasonings: Make the soup taste more interesting with Italian spices.
- Miniature Farfalle Pasta: Adds some chewy bits to the soup and makes it filling.
- Fresh Spinach: Gives the soup some green color and a fresh taste.
- Parmesan Cheese: Sprinkled on top for a salty and nutty flavor.
Quick Tip
Use a hot cast-iron skillet and don’t over-stir or over-crumble the meat — you want it to get browned to develop layers of flavor. Transfer sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain off the grease.
How To Make Pasta Soup
- Cook Sausage: Brown Italian sausage in a pot, then set it aside.
- Sauté Veggies: In the same pot, cook diced carrots, celery, and onion until tender. Add garlic and stir.
- Add Tomatoes and Broth: Pour in fire-roasted diced tomatoes and reduced-sodium beef broth. Season with dried basil, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Boil and Add Pasta: Bring the soup to a boil, then add miniature farfalle pasta. Cook until pasta is tender.
- Stir in Sausage and Spinach: Put the cooked sausage back into the soup. Add fresh spinach and stir until it wilts.
- Season to Taste: Adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
- Serve: Dish it up, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy with crusty bread!
Storage
Storage Tips
- Refrigeration: Cool soup, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze soup without pasta; it’s best to cook pasta separately and add it later. Store for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: Thaw soup in the refrigerator or microwave.
What To Serve Alongside Pasta Soup
- Enjoy a good Honey Whole Wheat Bread, homemade Dinner Rolls, or soup crackers/saltines.
- For additional veggies on the side try Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
- Add a salad on the side; this Roasted Sweet Potato Salad or Winter Fruit Salad would pair nicely.
Pasta Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage (spicy or mild sausage)
- 2 ¼ cups mirepoix: 3/4 cup diced carrots, 3/4 cup diced celery, 3/4 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cans (15 oz. each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I recommend Muir Glen or San Marzano)
- 2 cartons (32 oz. EACH) reduced-sodium beef broth or stock
- 1 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- fine sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
- 3 cups miniature farfalle pasta (uncooked) (Note 1)
- 4 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (lightly packed when measured)
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- SAUSAGE: Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Heat a large (6-quart) cast iron stockpot over medium high heat. Add a drizzle (1/2 tablespoon) of olive oil and once the oil is shimmering, add in the sausage. Let stand for 30 seconds and then cook, breaking into crumbles, until browned through (about 6-8 minutes). You don't need to stir constantly; allowing sausage to brown will add more flavor. Transfer to prepared plate and set aside.
- VEGGIES: Drain off all but 1 tablespoon sausage grease and add in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add in the diced carrots, diced celery, and diced onion. Sauté, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Add in garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in both cans of tomatoes, both cartons of beef stock/broth, and seasonings: dried basil, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, salt and pepper. (Add salt and pepper to taste; I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper -- this will vary depending on the actual beef stock/broth you use.) Stir.
- PASTA: Bring the soup to a boil. As soon as it's boiling, add in the uncooked pasta. Return to a boil and cook, uncovered, until pasta is tender, about 7-9 minutes. Stir in the cooked sausage and the spinach and stir briefly until spinach wilts (only a minute or two). Remove from heat, and taste to adjust salt/pepper seasoning.
- SERVE: serve with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this last night with 1 substitution, fire roasted tomatoes. Did not have so I used plain diced tomatoes. Came out great, one of the better winter soups I’ve tried.
So happy you were able to make it work! Thanks! 🙂
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
I haven’t had much success cooking pasta in a slow cooker unfortunately
Omg this soup is DELICIOUS!!! It literally tastes like something you would order at olive garden. So simple yet so delicious and filling. My husband and daughter are extremely picky and they both thoroughly enjoyed this. Will definitely make again!!
So thrilled this was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
The soup recipe was very very good. We went to farmers market today and bought all fresh produce and pasta. I added chopped zucchini as well. It was very good.
So glad to hear it! Thanks Jill!
I had a half bag of chopped kale, so I used that instead of spinach. The soup was delicious! Hearty, healthy and refreshing.
So glad to hear that! Thanks Janice 🙂
3 cups of uncooked pasta was way too much… added more broth and tomatoes to compensate.. but it was not salvageable.. and rather costly
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it! We love it with lots of pasta. You could always add in some more broth
The Italian sausage I have is turkey. Do you recommend still using beef broth or should I just use ground beef instead? Thanks