Corn Risotto
August 22, 2026Inspired by Our Roman Holiday
Tortellini and Italian Sausage Soup
Soup and Salad
On our first trip to Rome in 2001 I had a scrumptious tortellini in brodo which I often thought about. Fresh made tortellini swimming in a rich, savory broth. Twenty-five years later we returned to the same restaurant (Colline Emiliane) and the brodo was better than I remembered!
A version of this soup was the first thing I made upon our return home.
To make this more of a one dish meal, I added spicy Italian chicken sausages, used a trio of fennel, carrots and sweet onion for the base and dropped in two parmesan cheese rinds all of which combined with the cheese tortellini made for a steaming bowl of goodness. If you don’t have a bag of parmesan cheese rinds tucked away in your freezer, grate fresh parmesan over the top before serving.
Use your favorite refrigerated or fresh cheese tortellini. Sadly, I do not recommend the Trader Joe’s cheese tortellini as they seem to be more pasta than cheese. But I highly recommend Giovanni Rana 5 Cheese tortellini. Delicious pillowy pasta bursting with a blend of ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, mascarpone and fontina cheeses. Yum!
I used a package of Trader Joe’s Spicy Italian chicken sausages which I like as it has notes of fennel and just a hint of heat. The Trader Joe’s sausages are already cooked, but I browned them before adding to the soup for better color. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s, substitute with 12 ounces bulk hot or sweet Italian sausage (or sausage links with casings removed), and cook thoroughly before adding to the soup.
If you have time, homemade chicken broth which is chock full of flavor is best, but adding Better Than Boullion Roasted Chicken Base to low-sodium chicken broth adds a nice savory boost to your broth. Be sure to use low-sodium chicken broth otherwise it will be waaaaay too salty.
This recipe is very flexible. If you don’t have fennel (or don’t like it) use celery. Don’t like sausage? leave it out (but I do think it adds a ton of flavor). Substitute kale or Swiss chard for the spinach (or leave it out says my vegetable impaired husband).
Super easy savory comfort food, just what you need for winter and far easier than traveling to Rome!
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 12-oz. package Trader Joe’s Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage (see note)
2 cups (1 medium) sweet or yellow onion, diced
2 cups (1 medium bulb) fennel, cored, stalks and root removed, diced
1 cup (2-3 medium) carrots, peeled and diced
1 1/4 tablespoons Herbs de Provence or Italian Seasonings
4 cups (32 oz.) low-sodium chicken broth
3 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
1 (10 oz.) package fresh or refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 (6 oz.) package fresh baby spinach
2 parmesan cheese rinds (see note)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown the sausage links (or cook the sausage, see note above) and remove to a plate to cool. Add more olive oil if the pan is dry. Add the onions, fennel, carrots and herbs de Provence. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened but not browned, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in one teaspoon salt and one-half teaspoon pepper.
While the veggies are cooking, slice the sausage links if using. When the vegetables are softened, stir in the chicken broth, Better than Bouillon, sausage and parmesan rinds to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the tortellini and cook 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Add more broth or water if you want a thinner broth.
After the tortellini are cooked, stir in the spinach until it wilts.
To serve, remove the parmesan rinds if they did not melt entirely. Season to taste with salt and pepper. As always, this is even better the next day.
Refrigerate leftover soup for up to four days or freeze soup in airtight container for three months. To reheat you may need to add more broth or water as the tortellini may absorb most of the liquid.
Serves 6.
