I found these cute little pastas labeled Plin at Whole Foods which basically means “pinch” in Italian. These were small ravioli stuffed with cheese and pesto. They inspired me to make a delicious rainy day soup. It has a lot of similarities to my Italian Sausage Soup recipe. The main similarities being it starts with carrots and onions and gets most of its flavor from the Italian sausage and garlic. This soup uses pasta instead of root vegetables to add bulk and it doesn't require cream. It’s a delicious and healthy meal. We made a large pot and are happy to have leftovers as its going to be another rainy weekend. I recommended the Pesto Plin that I used but to be honest the pesto didn’t contribute a whole lot of flavor so I think any type of bite sized cheese filled pasta would work. Johnny added red pepper flakes to his but I thought it was perfect without.
What you need:
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 pound of bulk turkey or chicken Italian sausage or links with the skin removed (you could also use pork but will want to drain some of the fat after browning the sausage)
3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1.5-2 quarts of low sodium chicken broth
9 oz of fresh bite sized ravioli or small tortellini
1 cup frozen chopped kale
1 Parmesan rind
Toast or Garlic bread for serving
Begin by adding the onion and carrot to a soup pot with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables have softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and start to brown, break it into small pieces as you stir occasionally. When the sausage is mostly cooked add the garlic. After 2-3 minutes the garlic should produce a strong aroma, now add the broth. I would start with 1 and a 1/2 quarts and reserve extra in case you need to add it after the pasta has thickened the soup. Bring the pot to a boil and then add the kale. Reduce to simmer and toss in the Parmesan rind. Allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind and taste to see if it needs a touch more salt and pepper. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions (mine said 4 minutes). If the soup is too thick add the remaining broth. That’s it, enjoy! So easy : )
