My mom makes this amazing Italian sausage soup. It’s on regular rotation in her arsenal of comfort foods and we always manage to snag a mini potful when she makes a big batch. Having enjoyed it recently, it occurred to me that this soup would be an amazing pasta dish. I basically plagiarized my mom’s soup and shamelessly turned it into an original meal on repeat in my own kitchen. I did call her the next day and credit her with the inspiration for our new fave meaty pasta dinner.
It’s so easy to make and can be adapted to use any vegetables you have on hand or prefer. The first time I made it with zucchini, like the soup calls for, the second time without; and both versions were great. You can also opt to use spicy sausage or kick up the heat with more red pepper flakes. Also, there’s just something so special about sausage paired with fennel. Most Italian sausage is already seasoned with the anise-like flavor, but adding in extra fennel is a must to highlight that bright, sweet spiciness. What matters most, is making sure the sauce ends up with just the right creaminess and thickness to coat all the pasta perfectly. Using pasta water is the trick to getting the right consistency for a well-rounded, flavorful sauce that isn’t runny.
This recipe comes together quickly for a really satisfying dinner that’s a step up from the typical pasta with red meat sauce. Pasta is always comforting and the addition of a warm, creamy sauce, full of chunky sausage bits and amazing fennel flavor just makes it that much better. Oh, and a picky little toddler likes it too!
Remove sausage from casing and cook it in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Stir frequently, scraping up the browning bits until no longer pink and fully cooked, about 10 minutes.
Once the sausage has browned, add in the onion, garlic, and celery. Continue stirring until the onions and celery are pale and begin to soften, another 5 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, zucchini, tomato paste, seasonings, and water, stirring until combined and the tomato paste has incorporated. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve a cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and add it back to the large pot; toss with olive oil and stir to coat all the pasta. Set aside.
Once the liquid in the sauce has reduced, stir in the cream cheese until it smooths out into the sauce. Next, add in the heavy cream or milk and stir constantly. Add in the reserved pasta water, half a cup at a time, and the parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Allow the sauce to simmer another 10 minutes, until it thickens a bit. Add in more pasta water as needed to achieve a thinner sauce, if desired.
Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley, then pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to evenly coat all the pasta in the sauce.
Serve warm garnished with additional parmesan cheese and enjoy!
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