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This creamy bowl of Pesto Tortellini Zuppa Toscana is the perfect cold-weather dinner. Spicy Italian chicken sausage simmered together with basil pesto, cheese tortellini, kale, a little lemon, and finished with crispy bacon. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to each bowl and serve with crusty bread. It’s hearty, full of greens, and so delicious. A fun twist on the classic and great for just about any night of the week!
We finally have snow here! This has been the weirdest December I’ve ever seen. We’ve had very little snowfall and back to back days of sunshine. Usually by this time of year we have full snow cover and more snowy days than sunny. But this year has just been so strange.
I’m excited to report that we have a couple days of snow in the forecast. Snowy cold days mean soup! And this is one I’ve been looking forward to making for months.
A few years ago I made my own version of the Olive Garden’s very well loved Zuppa Toscana. It’s been such a favorite soup ever since. When I make it for people, they always ask for the recipe.
Back in the fall I had the idea to replace the potatoes in the soup with some cheese tortellini. At the time I had been making a lot of soup, so I held off on this recipe until I had the perfect day to make it.
Well, I finally made it, and I actually think it’s better than the original.
Here are the details
The key to a good Zuppa Toscana is the spicy sausage. So begin with the sausage, you’ll want to brown it with onions and garlic and add in some broth. Then, I love to add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and basil pesto for even more flavor.
This may not be traditional but it really adds so much to this hearty soup. I’ve found that both the addition of sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and fresh lemon really lighten things up and truly enhance the flavors.
Once you have everything in the soup, add the kale and let it cook down into the broth. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the tortellini, cream, and parmesan.
Then just ladle the soup into bowls and top with crispy bacon. Nothing fancy at all, but so warming delicious.
Really excited to serve this to my family over Christmas break. My cousin Abby loves soup, so this is perfect!
Bonus, this soup is great to have after coming in from the cold and so easy to cook up too.
Looking for winter soup recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Rosemary Bacon
Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup
Lastly, if you make this Pesto Tortellini Zuppa Toscana be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pesto Tortellini Zuppa Toscana
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 685 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 3/4 pound ground spicy Italian chicken or pork sausage
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained, and tomatoes chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 bunch Tuscan or curly kale, roughly chopped
- 1 pound cheese tortellini
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
Instructions
- 1. Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. 2. To the pot, add the sausage and onion. Brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the celery, garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes, cook 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, 1 cup water, the pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 3. Stir in the kale and cook 5 minutes, until wilted, stir in the tortellini. Cook 2-3 minutes, then add the cream and parmesan. Remove from the heat. Stir in the reserved bacon.4. Serve the soup topped with additional parmesan and fresh thyme, if desired.
We love the soup. Any suggestions for cream/ milk substitution?
Hi there,
So glad you have been enjoying this soup! You could use a dairy free option if that is something you need! I hope this helps! xT
I would love to know your favorite recipes. . .that you find the easiest and most user-friendly. I have loved every recipe I have tried. . .and am curious about your all time faves. I just did a basic Toscana with tortellini instead of potato. . .so much easier. . .no peeling and chopping potatoes and just as delish.
This was easily my favorite recipe I’ve tried so far! Definitely will be made again. How do you recommend reheating leftovers? Stove?
Hi there! Yes, I would reheat on the stove or in the microwave! xT
This is our favorite soup, it is so flavorful and comforting. We make it all year round.
Thank you so so much Jen! xT
Great dish, super delicious and easy to make!
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! Hope you have an amazing New Year! 🙂 xT
This was delicious! Rich and flavorful.
Hi! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Hope you have a wonderful New Year! 🙂 xT
My mother hates greens, hates pesto, and hates spicy and yet she loves this soup. We have converted her! It’s healthy ish where enough veggies that I feel good serving it but enough meat fat and pasta that it tastes amazing. Love this one
Hi Amber! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Hope you have a wonderful New Year! 🙂 xT
I absolutely love this soup! I am curious how many days it can last in the fridge? I’m assuming we can’t freeze it because of the tortellini?
Hi Kelly,
Wonderful!! I am so glad that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a go! This is good for 3-4 days in the fridge. I would freeze without the tortellini. xx
I’ve been making the Pesto Zuppa Toscana for years. It’s a family favorite (my youngest demands it weekly and calls it “normal soup.” I made this version last night and it was even more of a hit! Everyone asked for seconds. I have to scale recipes up a bit since we are a larger family, but I’m so glad I did with this one because I have leftovers for lunch today (which I can’t wait to eat).
Hey Megan,
Happy Monday!! Love to hear that this recipe always turns out well for you, thanks for making it so often and your feedback! xT
We LOVE this soup! It cooks so quickly and is decadent! Luxurious yet quick enough for an easy weeknight meal. We’ve already made it twice! Thank you Tieghan!
Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! So glad you enjoyed it! Have a great Halloween 🙂 xT
This soup is sooooo good! It has become a staple in our home for those chilly days. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to try out this recipe! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Dearest Thieghan,
one of your biggest fan here 🙂
I may be wrong but I believe at the bottom of this recipe there was an addition advising how to prepare herb blend to season meat in a spicy-italian-sausages-style. Now it has gone.
Please could you re-add that or point me to the place to find it. It was well proven and working excellently.
Best regards
Greg
Hi Greg,
Thanks so much for your comment! Is this the recipe you were looking for?
Ground Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage: I buy ground chicken sausage at Whole Foods. If you can’t find it, you can make your own by adding the following spice mix to 1 pound ground chicken:
1 tablespoon each of fennel seed, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper; 2 teaspoons each of cayenne (or less, if you don’t want it too spicy), paprika, and garlic powder; and 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes.
Please let me know! xx
Indeed. Thank you so much and thank you for making our lives tastier!
I made a similar version of this (the recipe from your recent cookbook) and I will rave about this foreverrrr!
The flavours and richness of the soup are so delicious! I used coconut milk instead of cream and it tasted just as good. I wish I could give this more than 5 stars! 🙂
Hi Nicole,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT