Name: The Easy Italian Soup I’m Making All Winter Long
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian, American
Ingredients: 1 pound mild Italian ground sausage; 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock; 1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini, acini de pepe, or orzo; 4 packed cups (4 to 5 ounces) spinach or escarole, stems removed and roughly torn; 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or as needed; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or as needed

Ingredients

6 serv.

1 pound mild Italian ground sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock
1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini, acini de pepe, or orzo
4 packed cups (4 to 5 ounces) spinach or escarole, stems removed and roughly torn
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or as needed

Instructions

Tap a step to mark it done

1 Roll the ground sausage into 1-inch “meatballs” and place on a plate. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Fry the meatballs on all sides, working in batches if necessary, about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a plate and cover to keep warm.
2 In the same pot (don’t wipe it out), sauté the onion until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and soft, another 1 to 2 minutes.
3 Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce to a simmer and add the pasta and browned meatballs. Simmer until the pasta is barely al dente according to the package directions, about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally, ensuring the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
4 Add the spinach and simmer until the spinach is dark and wilted and the pasta is cooked, another 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and taste. To serve, optionally drizzle with good-quality olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or cooled completely and frozen for up to one month. Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!