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Sausage and Tortellini Soup
Turn humble shop-bought tortellini into a comforting midweek soup, simmered with bite-sized sausage meatballs and finished with a generous flourish of freshly grated Parmesan.
Heat the olive oil in a large, lidded pan over a medium heat. Shape the sausage meat into small, evenly sized meatballs and add them directly to the pan. Cook for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion and fennel to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 5–6 minutes, until softened and lightly translucent. Stir through the garlic, tomato purée and oregano and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any caramelised bits, and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
Return the meatballs to the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock. Season to taste, bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to deepen.
Increase the heat slightly and bring the soup back to a gentle boil. Add the tortellini, spinach and double cream, stirring to combine, and cook for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is just tender and the spinach has wilted.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then ladle into warm bowls and finish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
A few details make all the difference
01
Brown the Meatballs Properly First
Take the time to brown the meatballs on all sides before removing them from the pan. The caramelised crust develops deep savoury flavour and leaves behind tasty browned bits that will enrich the entire soup when de-glazed with the wine.
02
Build Flavour with Fennel, Onion and White Wine
Don't rush the onion and fennel stage. Allow them to soften fully and become lightly translucent before adding the garlic and tomato purée. De-glazing with white wine lifts every bit of flavour from the bottom of the pan and creates a rich foundation for the soup.
03
Add the Tortellini at the Very End
Tortellini cooks quickly and continues softening in the hot broth. Adding it during the final few minutes ensures it stays tender and retains its shape rather than becoming overly soft and breaking apart.
Why this recipe works
This sausage and tortellini soup combines several layers of flavour and texture to create a rich, comforting bowl that's both hearty and balanced. Browning the sausage meatballs first develops deep savoury notes, while fennel, onion, garlic and white wine build a fragrant, aromatic base. The tomatoes and stock simmer together to create a rich broth that absorbs all those flavours, and the addition of cream softens the acidity while adding luxurious richness. Finally, the tortellini provides satisfying bites of pasta, the spinach brings freshness and colour, and a finishing shower of Parmesan delivers the perfect salty, nutty finish. The result is a warming, restaurant-quality soup that's packed with flavour in every spoonful.
Cook’s notes
Keep the Meatballs Small and Even
Rolling the sausage meat into bite-sized meatballs ensures they cook quickly and evenly. Smaller meatballs also distribute throughout the soup better, so every spoonful gets a little sausage flavour.
Don't Skip De-glazing the Pan
After browning the meatballs and cooking the vegetables, the bottom of the pan will be covered with caramelised bits. The white wine lifts these flavour-packed deposits into the broth, creating a richer and more complex soup.
Add the Tortellini Just Before Serving
Tortellini can quickly become overcooked if left simmering too long. Add it during the final few minutes of cooking so it stays tender with a slight bite and doesn't absorb too much of the broth.
Stir the Cream in Gently
Once the soup has finished simmering, reduce the heat before adding the cream. Gentle heat prevents the cream from splitting and gives the broth a luxurious, velvety texture.
Chef's Secret
Reserve a small handful of Parmesan rind and simmer it with the soup for the final 20 minutes. It slowly releases savoury umami flavour into the broth and makes the finished soup taste like it's come straight from an Italian trattoria.
Heat the olive oil in a large, lidded pan over a medium heat. Shape the sausage meat into small, evenly sized meatballs and add them directly to the pan. Cook for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion and fennel to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 5–6 minutes, until softened and lightly translucent. Stir through the garlic, tomato purée and oregano and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any caramelised bits, and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
Return the meatballs to the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock. Season to taste, bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to deepen.
Increase the heat slightly and bring the soup back to a gentle boil. Add the tortellini, spinach and double cream, stirring to combine, and cook for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is just tender and the spinach has wilted.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then ladle into warm bowls and finish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
Cook’s notes
Keep the Meatballs Small and Even: Rolling the sausage meat into bite-sized meatballs ensures they cook quickly and evenly. Smaller meatballs also distribute throughout the soup better, so every spoonful gets a little sausage flavour.
Don't Skip De-glazing the Pan: After browning the meatballs and cooking the vegetables, the bottom of the pan will be covered with caramelised bits. The white wine lifts these flavour-packed deposits into the broth, creating a richer and more complex soup.
Add the Tortellini Just Before Serving: Tortellini can quickly become overcooked if left simmering too long. Add it during the final few minutes of cooking so it stays tender with a slight bite and doesn't absorb too much of the broth.
Stir the Cream in Gently: Once the soup has finished simmering, reduce the heat before adding the cream. Gentle heat prevents the cream from splitting and gives the broth a luxurious, velvety texture.
Chef's Secret: Reserve a small handful of Parmesan rind and simmer it with the soup for the final 20 minutes. It slowly releases savoury umami flavour into the broth and makes the finished soup taste like it's come straight from an Italian trattoria.
Cooking mode
Sausage and Tortellini Soup
Heat the olive oil in a large, lidded pan over a medium heat. Shape the sausage meat into small, evenly sized meatballs and add them directly to the pan. Cook for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion and fennel to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 5–6 minutes, until softened and lightly translucent. Stir through the garlic, tomato purée and oregano and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any caramelised bits, and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
Return the meatballs to the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock. Season to taste, bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to deepen.
Increase the heat slightly and bring the soup back to a gentle boil. Add the tortellini, spinach and double cream, stirring to combine, and cook for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is just tender and the spinach has wilted.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then ladle into warm bowls and finish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
A letter from table number seven
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