Italian Sausage Soup With Red Wine and Pasta Shells

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Sweet and hot Italian sausage: Using both gives the soup a balance of savory sausage flavor and heat. The sausage also contributes seasoning to the broth.
• Red wine: Wine adds acidity and complexity to the tomato-and-beef broth. Use a wine you enjoy drinking, as recommended in the original recipe.
• Beef stock or beef broth: This forms the savory base of the soup and complements the red wine and sausage.
• Petite diced tomatoes: These add tomato flavor and body while distributing small pieces of tomato throughout the broth.
• Sweet onion and bell pepper: These soften as they cook and provide an aromatic vegetable base.
• Garlic: Garlic adds savory depth alongside the sausage, onion, and pepper.
• Dried basil: Basil brings an herbal note to the long-simmered tomato broth.
• Fennel seeds: Fennel reinforces the anise-like flavor commonly associated with Italian sausage.
• Pasta shells: Cooked separately and served in the bowl, the shells provide a substantial pasta component without absorbing the soup’s broth during the full simmer.
• Parmesan cheese: A finishing sprinkle adds salty, savory flavor to each serving.

1. Step 1: Cut the Italian Sausage Links: Line up the 6 Italian sausage links on a large cutting board and use a chef’s knife to cut them horizontally. Slice them as thin as you can.

1. Step 2: Brown The Italian Sausage: Use a Dutch oven to brown the chunks of Italian Sausage, stirring often. To tell if it’s done, it should crumble easy while breaking up the chunks into smaller pieces and have a slightly crispy texture. There should be no visible pink in the center aside from some of the color from paprika, which is commonly used to make the sausage. Remove the sausage to a colander and let the grease drain. Not draining the sausage will make the soup too greasy.
2. Step 3: Cook The Vegetables: Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped bell pepper and onions, stirring occasionally. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Step 3: Add Sausage and Wine: Add cooked sausage and red wine to the vegetable mix. Use a sturdy spatula to scrape up the browned bits from the vegetables and sausage. They bring a savory layer of flavor to the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Step 4: Add Beef Broth: Add beef broth, tomatoes, basil and fennel. Simmer uncovered for one hour. This long slow simmer allows the sausage, wine, tomatoes, and stock to develop a more unified flavor.
5. Cook Pasta: About 15 minutes before the soup is done, cook pasta shells al dente and drain.

6. Step 6: Serve The Soup: Drop about a dozen cooked pasta shells in a shallow soup bowl. Add a generous ladle of the soup and top with ⅛ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Storing, Leftovers and Freezing

• Refrigerating leftovers: Store leftover Italian sausage soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. For the best texture, keep the cooked pasta shells in a separate container from the broth. This prevents the pasta from absorbing too much liquid and becoming overly soft.
• Reheating: Reheat the soup gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming hot, stirring occasionally. Warm the pasta separately or add it to individual bowls and ladle the hot soup over the top.
• Freezing: The soup broth freezes well, making this a convenient meal to prepare ahead. Let the soup cool, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room for expansion. Freeze the broth without the pasta for the best results. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat until steaming hot. Heat fresh pasta shells when you’re ready to serve.
• For food safety, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking and use refrigerated soup within 3 to 4 days.