There’s something magical about walking into your home after a long day to the aroma of simmering Italian herbs and savory sausage wafting from your slow cooker. This hearty Italian sausage soup delivers all the comfort you crave with minimal effort – just the way busy weeknights should be!
What makes this soup absolutely irresistible is the combination of robust Italian sausage, tender pasta, and that luxurious dollop of herbed ricotta cheese on top. It’s like getting a warm hug in a bowl, and honestly, who doesn’t need more of those in their life?
The best part? Your slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you go about your day. By dinner time, you’ll have a restaurant-quality soup that’ll have your family asking for seconds (and maybe thirds). Trust me, this one’s going straight into your regular dinner rotation!
Recipe Details
- Prep time: N/A
- Cook time: N/A
- Servings: N/A
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (or ground turkey Italian sausage for a lighter option)
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces ziti or penne pasta, uncooked
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the Italian sausage and diced onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon until it’s completely browned and the onion is softened. Drain any excess grease.
- Transfer the cooked sausage mixture to your slow cooker (4-5 quart capacity works perfectly). Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with their juices, chopped bell pepper, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the flavors have melded beautifully and the soup is bubbling gently.
- About 30 minutes before serving, switch your slow cooker to HIGH if it isn’t already. Add the uncooked pasta, stir it in, cover again, and cook for an additional 30 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- While the pasta finishes cooking, prepare your ricotta topping by mixing the ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, and chopped fresh basil in a small bowl until well combined.
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous dollop of the herbed ricotta mixture. Serve immediately while steaming hot, and watch everyone’s faces light up with that first spoonful!
Tips & Variations
Pro tip: Don’t skip browning the sausage first – this extra step builds incredible depth of flavor that you simply can’t get by adding raw sausage directly to the slow cooker. For an even richer taste, try using a mix of sweet and spicy Italian sausage. If you’re meal prepping, store the soup and ricotta topping separately, as the cheese mixture is best when fresh and will keep the soup from getting too thick when reheated.
