Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
So delicious! My whole family loved this. This will definitely become a regularly made meal at our house!
Hi Anne,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
I made this today with turkey Italian sausage. As there are only two of us I opted to make a whole batch of soup minus the tortellini. I cooked 2 portions of tortellini separately and served the hot soup over it. Delicious. Refrigerated the remaining soup for lunches this busy week.
Hey Chris,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays!?? xTieghan
This was so good! I left out the sausage but added extra bacon and sun dried tomatoes. I also used veggie tortellini instead of cheese filled. So warm and satisfying!
Hi Rachel,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
This soup is so good. I made a small tweak by adding a little less heavy cream. I was sure about the celery but it provided the perfect crunch. This will likely be a tradition from now on.
Hi Jodi,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
This was absolutely delicious. Eating it the second day and the flavors really intensified. Will make again during these cold winter months.
Hey there,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
Wow! This is SO good. I made the base in the morning and then just heated it up before dinner adding the tortellini, kale, cream and parm just before serving. Toppings a nice touch and a local farm sausage and bacon made this hearty and delicious. A quick and easy, savory dinner! I served with a simple spinach/parsley salad with manchego and pear shavings with roasted hazelnuts- lemon-olive oil vinaigrette- yum! Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful recipes…huge fan of pretty much everything!!
Hey Brenda,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
Made this last night, it was amazing. I substituted a few things, using what I had in the fridge. I used spinach instead of kale, and pancetta instead of bacon, and a mix of mild and sweet italian sausage. It came together so easy. Another winner. I really enjoy all of your recipes, you are a natural. Merry Christmas!
Hi Michelle,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
I made this for dinner last night and it was amazing!! I made it exactly as written and it doesn’t need any changes!! So much flavor in a quick soup and the spicy sausage brought a nice level of heat. This will become a regular.
Hi Jeremy,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
I made in crock pot and turned out good! I cooked onion and celery in butter on stove top before adding them. I didn’t use meat but a sweet potato instead. Then I definitely recommend adding fresh tortellini, heavy cream, and kale about 30-45 min before eating. So good thanks Tiegan!
Hi Hali,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
This and your pasta alla vodka are the absolute best things I’ve ever made! SOOOO delicious! I’ll be adding it to my repertoire for years to come. Thank, Tieghan!
Hi Vanessa,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
I found this soup had a very tangy flavor, maybe it would have been more balanced with a little more heat?
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry it wasn’t enjoyed. xTieghan
Incredible, as is everything I try from HBH! The soup is just mildly spicy, which is perfect. It has all of my favourite flavours… and also kale.
Hi Kristen,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
This was one of (if not the) best soups I have ever made. DELICIOUS! I made a few modifications- I skipped the celery because I hate celery. I also used organic sweet Italian chicken sausage links and chopped them up instead of using ground sausage. I browned the pieces with the onion. The lemony/garlicky broth was my favorite part. I also used oat milk instead of whole/cream (forgot to get the cream) and it worked fine! It would probably be even richer/tastier with the cream, but the oat milked worked in my opinion. The whole batch was gone in less than 24 hours! We had it for dinner and lunch. Will be making this again!
Hi Meg,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
Just had this for the most delicious lunch – what a perfect Winter recipe. Thank you!
Hi Kaelan,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
I’ve been making Zuppa the same way for over a decade, but decided to give this recipe a try. And I am SO glad I did! It’s fantastic. It’s definitely a dressed up version of Zuppa but just as simple to make. The lemon juice and pesto seriously elevate the flavors.
The only thing I did different was add about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and one very large chopped potato. I also doubled the cream, because I love it super creamy.
So so good!!!
Hey Beth,
Awesome! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Happy Holidays!❄️ xT
This is easy to make, and was a hit served for dinner. We will definitely be making again.
Hi Ashley,
Awesome! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Happy Holidays!❄️ xT