A one-pot sausage soup with sea shape pasta, a double-tomato broth, kale, and a Parmesan rind for umami. Inspired by Gimme Some Oven's SpaghettiOs and Sausage Soup — we added crushed tomatoes for more depth and use our house sausage dry-rub instead of store-bought.
Sausage Dry-Rub
Use this on 1 pound of ground chicken, pork, or turkey to make your own Italian sausage. Same blend from the Zuppa Toscana — it's becoming a house staple.
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel seed
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground meat, seasoned with the dry-rub above (or store-bought Italian sausage)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
- ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 7–8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 8 ounces sea shape pasta (or other small pasta)
- 3–4 cups chopped kale, ribs removed
Finishing
- Fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
- Black pepper, for serving
Shoutout to Gimme Some Oven for the original recipe inspiration:
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. If there's excess grease, drain off most of it but leave about a tablespoon in the pot — that's flavor you want. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside.
Add the butter and onion to the pot and sauté for 4–5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to caramelize the tomato paste and deepen the flavor. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes to meld everything together — this double-tomato layer is what gives the broth its backbone.
Pour in 6 cups of broth and drop in the Parmesan rind and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the sea shape pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. When the pasta is about 3–4 minutes from al dente, stir in the chopped kale — it wilts quickly and this way the pasta doesn't overcook while you wait on the greens. Add additional broth as needed — the pasta will drink up more than you think.
Once the pasta is al dente and the kale is wilted and tender, fish out the Parmesan rind and discard it (or eat the gooey remnants — no judgment).
Return the sausage to the pot, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten things up. Taste and adjust salt. Serve warm with a heap of freshly grated Parmesan and a twist of black pepper.