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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.
Hi! We love this recipe! Just wanted to know if I freeze it and how? I would think you wouldn’t freeze it with the tortellini’s.
Hey Lyn,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! I would probably freeze without the tortellinis. xT
After almost 2 years of making HBH recipes I finally made an account just to review this soup. HOLY COW IT WAS AMAZING! My boyfriends stomach does not get along w pesto so I swapped it for vodka sauce because well that’s what my fridge had to offer. I added some oregano and basil as well as some chopped marinated red peppers and peas. I swapped the 1c of water for 1c of the liquid from the marinated red peppers! Definitely a winner for me! (Also feeling guilty for never having created an account till now considering I make at least 1 HBH recipe a week but I’m here now!!)
Hey Anina,
Love it!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Thanks for making so many recipes!! Happy Monday!🎄
This soup is delicious. So simple and hearty, and the flavours hit the mark. It is perfect for a cold and stormy day! We love how satisfying and nourishing your recipes are!
Hey Allison,
Wonderful!!❄️ Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a winner:)
10/10 so good. I subbed spinach for the kale, but otherwise kept the recipe exactly.
Next time, I’m gonna leave some of the tortellini uncooked and then cook it when I reheat the broth. The batch was too big for my husband and I for one sitting and the tortellini did get a little bit soggy sitting in the liquid.
Hey Rachel,
Happy Sunday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This has become a staple in our household! we love it, it’s perfect for the fall/winter day and I love that it’s quick and easy to make. I’ve even made it for my Mother, Sister, and Grandmother, and they all had seconds! love it love it love it!!
I want to take this to a holiday party over the weekend, but we also have other festive activities that day and won’t have time to make this so it’s fresh before we go to the party, how can I convert this into a slow cooker recipe?
Hey Brittany,
Happy Wednesday! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! You could just cook on low for 6 hours:) Or just make as you usually do and reheat on the stove top for serving or in the slow cooker. xxT
OK! thank you Tieghan! 🙂
Perfect soup for a chilly Sunday! We did sub in spicy Italian sausage, but otherwise made the recipe as is and it was a perfect hearty meal. Can’t wait for leftovers!
Hey Jessica,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
This soup is AMAZING. Super easy and hardy meal. 🤌🏻
Hey Ava,
I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was enjoyed!❄️ xx
Love this one!! I sub creamy oat milk for the heavy cream/milk to do less dairy, but would also be delish with just the chicken broth. Perfect for a chilly night!
Hey Jen,
Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
This is super good and so easy… Goes great with the Tuscan kale caesar!
Hey Desiree,
Happy Sunday!! I truly appreciate you giving this a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed:) xx
Made this tonight for Friday dinner which is usually my night off cooking and order out. I was craving this soup when I read the recipe and loved it. Hearty enough to be much more than a soup and not as heavy as a pasta. I make something similar but the pesto and bacon add more depth and more yum! I highly recommend this and forwarded it on to some family members for inspiration.
Hey Heidi,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
Do you think you can do it in a crockpot.
Hey Lauren,
This is such a super simple stove top recipe, I would just stick with that method:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
My husband and I LOVE this meal. I found it a few months ago and ever since we’ve had it on regular rotation. Every time we make it we are amazed at the depth of flavors and textures. It’s just the two of us so we always have enough for 6 meals and we love it as leftovers almost as much as when it’s fresh. The only downside is that is requires a lot of more costly ingredients- it’s worth it though!
Hey Carissa,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe is always a hit, thanks so much for making it so often! xx
This was so insanely delicious! I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch today! Hearty, healthy and soul fulfilling! Thank you so much!
Hey Christie,
Awesome!!🤩 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review and love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
Hi – due to allergy – can you suggest something to sub for the pesto?
Hi Melissa,
I would just skip the pesto:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
YUM!!!! We absolutely loved this soup. It was hearty and comforting without being heavy. It was spicy, but not too spicy…creamy, but not too rich. It was perfection. I recommend using fresh tortellini instead of frozen. Will definitely make again.
Hi Rachel,
Happy Monday!! I truly appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed! xx
Made it and it was perfection! The tortellinis made it much more appealing to my toddler rather than just “soup”
Hey Rachel,
I really appreciate you giving this dish a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Hope you’re having a great Wednesday! xT