This Italian Sausage Soup is simple to make, insanely delicious & my kids love it. A creamy-pasta-filled meal made with a tomato base & Italian sausage.
I love cheese! The more cheese a recipe has the more I love it. This Italian Soup is loaded with cheese, so obviously it is a favorite of mine. Besides the cheese, my favorite thing about this soup recipe is how easy it is to make. Throwing just a few ingredients together, let it simmer and you have an incredible meal to serve, I love making this during busy weeknights for my family or take to a friend’s house for dinner, it is a nice change-up from lasagna or spaghetti.
This recipe for Italian Soup is one of our family favorites.
Gearing up for a call means that I am gearing up for the season of comfort food. But not all comfort food is about dessert and drink pairings. To me, one of the best kinds of comfort food is cheesy pasta. The more cheese and sauce, the merrier I am. And my favorite part about creating pasta dishes is their simplicity – throwing together ingredients in a pot, letting them simmer, and voila, dinner is ready.
Cheese stringing off of the spoon makes my mouth automatically water every single time.
What I specifically love about this Creamy Italian Sausage Soup is that it is hearty enough for a dinner, yet simple enough to serve at a party as a beginning course or appetizer. It’s an easy dinner option or great for get-togethers. And let me tell you, this soup makes enough to feed a crowd. If you don’t have a large group, then cut the recipe in half or freeze the rest for an easy meal later.
I needed to make this soup easy, so I used a jarred marinara sauce to make it simple and add a ton of flavor, you could even use your own homemade sauce as well, this just simplifies the recipe and ingredient list. While you could easily use any sort of pasta, I grabbed penne, my second choice would be medium shells. Penne is easy to serve, gorgeous in the soup, plus the noodles hold up well and don’t get overly mushy. To make this dish cheesy and creamy, I used Mozzarella cheese.
Always nice to use products I love to simplify recipes.
So my favorite dinner pairing is pasta and cheese. Really cheese with anything works for me, I could eat it for every meal and snack.
What are some of your favorite food combinations? Are you sweet or savory? I would say in my early 20’s and 30’s I was everything sweet, now I have moved to savory.
How do you make this recipe for Italian Soup?
- In a large pot fill with 6 cups of water and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Once pasta is completely cooked, rinse with cold water and drain.
- Set pasta aside for later.
- Using the same pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Once heated add sausage, onion, and garlic; cook until sausage is completely cooked through. Drain grease from sausage and set sausage aside.
- Place the same pot over medium-high heat and add chicken broth, whole tomatoes – squeezing the whole tomatoes with your hand so that it breaks them up as you are pouring them in the pan, diced tomatoes, Barilla marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and heavy cream.
- Bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add in sausage mixture, butter, 2 cups shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Stir every few minutes so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining shredded Mozzarella cheese.
- Stir in the pasta and serve immediately.
- I love to top the soup with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and Italian seasoning.
Soup is one of those meals, I make when I can’t think of anything else. Here are a few other of my favorite soup recipes that I amke on busy nights.
What are some dishes I can serve with this Italian Soup recipe?
Look forward to hearing all the comments on how you enjoyed this soup! From our table to yours, enjoy.
XOXO San
I love using Italian seasoning and pepper to finish off the top of my bowl of Italian Soup, makes it look stunning and even more tasty.
Don’t forget to pin this recipe for Creamy Italian Sausage Soup to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Creamy Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 16 ounces mild Italian sausage
- 1/2 large yellow onion diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 jar Barilla Marinara Sauce
- 1/2 lb Barilla Penne Pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups half and half, heavy cream or whole milk
- 29 ounces whole tomatoes
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 3 cups shredded Gambilin Mozzerella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- In a large pot fill with 6 cups of water and cook pasta according to package directions.
Once pasta is completely cooked, rinse with cold water and drain. Set pasta aside for later. - Using the same pot, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil. Once heated add sausage, onion and garlic; cook until sausage is completely cooked through.
- Drain grease from sausage and set sausage aside.
- Place the same pot over medium-high heat and add chicken broth, whole tomatoes - squeezing the whole tomatoes with your hand so that it breaks them up as you are pouring them in the the pan, diced tomatoes, Barilla marinara sauce, Italian seasoning and heavy cream. Bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add in sausage mixture, butter, 2 cups shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Stir every few minutes so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from heat. Stir in remaining shredded Mozzarella cheese. Stir in the pasta and serve immediately.I love to top the soup with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and Italian seasoning.
Nutrition
Save
Made tonight. Very good!
Will make again.
I made this over the weekend and it was amazing! My family loved it. I followed the directions exactly as posted. I will add this to my winter recipe rotation. Delish!
I love how quick and easy this comes together! Perfect for a busy weeknight!
Good lord I am positively drooling!!
Lol, you will enjoy it.
Oh my goodness! Sounds amazing! Thank you for this!
This soup looks so delicious! My whole family will love it!
I love a good soup! I need to try it!
Wishing I had a big bowl right now for lunch 🙂
This has become a family favorite. They call it ‘Lasagna Soup”. The only thing I changed is, I used hot sausage instead of mild. Amazing!
I love it! Hot italian sausage would be delicious with this. Thanks for sharing!
This is amazing! I spent the extra on the Galbani fresh mozzarella and shredded myself, and this cheese is what makes the dish for sure! I used half-n-half, in place of heavy cream. This is so decadent, thick, creamy and DELICIOUS. My stepmother who always complains about my cooking ate 2 bowls of it! This recipe is a keeper for sure! 🙂
Delicious soup, but way too much cheese! I will cut the cheese at least in half the next time I make this.
The cheese can definitely be changed according to preference. Thanks!
I made this and served it with cheesy Doritos. Hot TAMALE! SIMPLI DELICIOUS. I also froze some for later. It is an interesting dish. The next time I am going to try a different kind of pasta. Either way it’s good. If I had to rate this on a schedule from 1 – 5 , I would give it an 9. It was good.
I’m super glad you liked it. Definitely experiment with the pastas and let us know what you like best! Thank you so much!
This looks so warm and delicious! Perfect dinner!
Thank you, enjoy!
What a robust and flavorful soup! Easily, a new family favorite recipe! Delish!
So glad you like it, thanks!
This soup is creamy perfection! We loved it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
That looks sooooo good and flavorful, I can’t wait to try it!
Let us know what you think! Enjoy!
Such a hearty, flavorful soup. Perfect for fall!
Enjoy!
Haven’t made it but it definitely looks DELICIOUS. So I plan to very soon. I just wondered if it’d be just as delicious with kale or spinach added. Has anyone tried it with either of those and how did it turn out?
This soup was/is delicious! The broth is all parts delicious and comforting with the perfect blend of all the flavors. Thank you for posting this one it has earned a spot in the rotation!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
A hearty and delicious soup like this makes me a happy gal!
I’m glad it makes you happy! Enjoy!
Such a cozy recipe for fall!
Thanks!
Hey Jenn, This looks so yummy! Y’all have a great weekend!
Oh wow, It looks insanely delicious. I’m a raving fan of cheese too, the more cheese the more I enjoy this meal. So yumyyyyyy!!!
You can never have enough cheese! I’m so glad you like it.
I love this dish, having some again for lunch at work. My family loved it and had seconds. I will be making this again soon.Thank you for sharing it with us.
I’m so glad you and your family loved it! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out!
Nothing’s better than hot soup in this weather, thank you for sharing the recipe!
I completely agree! It definitely has been chilly out. Enjoy!
Do you have the ingredient adjustments if this is done in an Instant Pot?
No, sorry. We do not have an instant pot so none of our recipes are tested with one. Let us know if you do give it a try!
Can you use Kraft mozzarella cheese in the can instead of freshly shredded cheese?
You can totally use pre-shredded/grated Mozzarella and Parmesan in this recipe. I find that fresh cheese melts just a little bit better as it has no added starch, but it shouldn’t affect the taste at all.
We loved this recipe. Next time I will freeze half without the noodles in it and probably use smaller pasta. Very filling and sooooooo good. I love it when I find a GREAT recipe.
Can you use the crockpot to make this?
We have not tested this recipe in the crockpot but it is similar to our other Slow Cooker Tuscan Soup. I would recommend cooking the sausage as directed, then add everything except the cream, cheese, and pasta to the slow cooker for 2-3 or 4-6 hours on low. Add the cream and cheese in the last hour to let it melt and combine, then add cooked pasta for just 5 minutes to heat. Let us know how it turns out if you do give it a try!
Absolutely delicious! I only used 1 cup of spaghetti sauce instead of a entire jar. It makes plenty.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this soup tonight, followed the recipe to a t, with the exception of cutting it in half as I was making it for just me and my better half. It was absolutely delicious, definitely going on the “keeper” list.
So glad you both enjoyed it!
Would this be a recipe good for a slowcooker ?
I am not sure how this would turn out in the slow cooker, we have never made it that way. You can definitely give it a try and let us know! You would still have to cook the sausage first to brown it. Add the cream and cheese in the last half hour and add the cooked pasta at the end to heat it through.
This looks incredible. Going to make it this week. Question about the sausage: whole, chopped, sliced, skin removed, ground sausage meat … HELP!, Many thanks.
We use ground sausage for most recipes! If you can only find links, remove the casing first. Break it up as it cooks in the pan so it is crumbled. Enjoy!
Made this tonight, quick and easy. I used half and half instead of heavy cream and added fennel seed and fresh spinach.
Yum! Spinach sounds like a great (healthy) addition! I’m glad you enjoyed it, thanks!
I love Italian food, soup, and I adore tomatoes. There was no doubt in my mind that I would love this. Guess what? I DO!
Just made it today. Yummy! Very easy to make. Thanks much for sharing.
I’m so glad you liked it so much! Thanks!
Hi
Planning on trying the recipe, do you think I can cook it in the Crockpot?
Hi Martina, We haven’t tested this recipe in the slow cooker so we are not sure how it would turn out! You can definitely give it a try. I would suggest still cooking up the sausage, onion, and garlic first to give it a bring out the flavors first. Then add that along with everything except cheese, heavy cream, and cooked pasta in the crockpot. Add those at the end, in the last hour of cooking, just to melt/heat them up. Let us know if you give it a try!
Can you tell me how many calories and sugar this yummy looking soup has?
Hi Brenda! One serving (about 1 cup or 8 ounces) has approximately 553 calories. This can of course be lowered by adjusting the amount of cheese to your liking or using non-fat cream. The amount of sugar per serving is 5g per serving, mostly from the marinara sauce. I updated the recipe card to include the full nutrition facts so if you have questions about any other amounts, you can find it at the bottom of the recipe!
This recipe is delicious!!!! The problem is, it’s so delicious I’ve been requested to make it for a soup potluck. I would like to prepare the soup the day before and store it in the crock pot over night. I’m hoping I’ll be able to set the crock pot to warm the next day and bring up to a nice hot soup temp. Would you recommend this? Should I leave the noodles out and prepare those the day of?
That should work well! I would prepare the soup base and then add the last bit of mozzarella and pasta the next morning when you turn it on. I’m so glad you like the recipe and get to share it! Enjoy!
Delish!!
Enjoy!
This was AWESOME! Made this last night and everyone loved it, even the kid who hates soup. The only thing I would add to the recipe, for those who don’t know how to make pasta, just make sure your boiling water tastes like ocean water before you start boiling and put a wooden spoon on top of the boiling pot so it doesn’t over flow. Also, use a LARGE pot. I had to transfer to another pot cause i underestimated how much this recipe makes. One last comment, just add a little bit of salt to the soup, not too much, but about 1/2-1 teaspoon helps. Thanks!
That is a great tip! Thank you for sharing! We definitely recommend salting your pasta water. It does make quite a lot of soup as San has a big family. If you do need to cut back, you can adjust the recipe amount by clicking on the serving size and sliding the bar to adjust to your needed amount. Thank you for the review!
Can this be frozen and heated later?
You can definitely freeze it for later! We recommend no longer than 3 months for best flavor. Enjoy!
This meal is a favorite in our home!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you!
So creamy and so flavorful, this is my kind of soup!
Thank you, enjoy!
This Italian Sausage Soup is such an exciting idea!
Thank you!
This looks so hearty & delicious! Wish I had a bowl of this right now. 🙂
Thank you! I hope you can enjoy it soon!
This soup looks so creamy and hearty! Love it!
Thank you!
This turned out so creamy and delicious! Perfect kind of comfort fodo!
So happy to hear that! Thank you!
This soup is calling my name! I have to make it up on our next cold day!
Enjoy!
The soup is so delicious, and it’s super comforting and very easy to prepare. This is filling enough to be a meal all by itself. We did eat it with some crusty bread though. 🙂
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I totally want to make this! We have been having soup several times a week!
I hope you enjoy it!
I love soup and our entire family adores cheese! Another winning recipe – thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!
This is always a huge hit every time I make it!
So glad to hear that!
Oh my goodness girl! This soup sounds so hearty and delicious. The more cheese the merrier in my world too. I’m going to save this one to have this weekend. Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed it!
Oh wow, so creamy!!
It started snowing here last night, so I was craving comfort food today. This was so perfect 🙂
Thank you! We had a foot of snow here that day too, crazy right! Soup is definitely the best on cold days. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This has been a hit every time I have made it!
So glad to hear that!
This sounds marvelous, just the kind of soup my family loves!
Thank you!
Cheesy, creamy and delicious!
Thank you!
This Italian Sausage Soup couldn’t look any more perfect!
Thank you!
WOW! SO creamy and delicious! I can’t wait to try this!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!
This looks SO flavorful!!!!!!
Enjoy!
My family loved the creaminess!!!
So glad to hear that!
This looks so hearty & delicious! Wish I had a bowl of this right now! Will surely enjoy this soon!
Thank you, I hope you do enjoy!
To avoid a trip to the store…wondering if it would work to use Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce and only diced tomatoes??
Hi Nicole! You can use pasta sauce with sausage, however you’ll find the soup won’t have as much sausage as in the recipe. The only issue with using diced tomatoes is that they are packed in juice, whereas whole canned tomatoes are packed in puree or sauce. If you use all diced tomatoes it will be very watery! You can instead sub a large can of tomato sauce, and if you want more chunks you can use an extra can of drained diced tomatoes.
I love soup in the winter time always filling I love it more when they change up a bit thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
This recipe is insanely delicious. When I made it i cut off the rind of the parmesan and added it to the pot while the soup stews. It adds to much umami flavor! Highly recommend it.
That sounds like an amazing idea! What a great way to use the rind that’s usually overlooked. So glad you enjoyed the soup!
delicious soup,it so yummy i tried at my home.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it.
Made it exactly the way you said, the famiy LOVED it!! We put croutons on top. Def going to be making this alot this winter!!
Topping it with croutons sounds so delicious! So glad you loved it!
This is my kind of soup, perfect comfort food!
It really is! Enjoy!
This looks so delicious and perfect for this semi-cold weather we’ve been having here! I can’t wait to make this! My family is going to love this recipe!
It definitely is perfect for cold evenings! I hope you and your family enjoy it!
This soup sounds so good right now! I want to have a big bowl of it!
Thank you! Enjoy!
This looks so creamy & comforting!
It definitely is! Enjoy!
I love soup season for recipes just like this one! Looking forward to warming up with this for dinner tonight, indeed!
I hope you enjoyed it!
Who doesn’t love a warm soup during this cold weather! This one looks so inviting!
Thank you!
Going to make this this week but I live alone… does it refrigerate well? If not, maybe omitting the pasta would help? Sounds delicious!
It refrigerates well, you won’t have an issue. 🙂
Very yummy! Made exactly as directed and it turned out great. Will be making again!
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Do you drain the liquid off of the whole tomatoes and the diced tomatoes before adding?
No, we did not 🙂
can it be frozen to eat later?
If you do this, don’t freeze with the pasta in it – the pasta breaks apart a bit when you do that. If you freeze with the pasta just make that note to yourself, it still will taste might fine.