Pizza in a soup

Hearty sausage pizza flavors in a soup is the theme of this winter-weather bowl of comfort. Italian sausage and mushroom is my favorite pizza, so why not try it for soup? The sausage and mushrooms are combined with onions, peppers, tomatoes and cheese. For a special treat, top with chopped pepperoncini, and more grated Parmesan. Nothing less than comfort in a bowl.

Sausage, Mushroom & Orzo Soup

SAUSAGE & TOMATO SOUP
Serves 4

6 oz orzo
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1-14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1//2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
shredded Parmesan for garnish

1. Cook orzo according to package directions and set aside. Stir in 1-2 Tbsp butter and cover to keep warm.

2. Heat oil in a soup pot, add sliced mushrooms and cook on med-high heat until liquid is released. Season with salt, pepper and garlic. Let cook until just browned and remove from pan.

3. Add sausage to same pot break up into bite-size pieces and cook, turning frequently, about 12 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

4. Add onions and peppers to pot and cook on low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add Italian seasoning, oregano and basil and cook 1 minute more to toast the herbs. Add crushed and dice tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir to combine and heat to boiling, add sherry. Turn down heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Add cheese and cook about 3 minutes until cheese is melted. Add cream slowly and stir to mix well. Add salt, pepper, mushrooms and sausage.

5. Place a serving of orzo in bowl and stir in soup. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Take a pound of Italian sausage…

While making Christmas eve dinner this year, I remembered my dad's big dinner spreads. He would make a huge appetizer table so the whole family could graze while he was in the kitchen finishing off dinner. The table featured a big antipasto platter with an assortment of meats, cheeses and veggies. But the big hit was the Italian sausages, cut into bite-sized morsels and topped with his famous marinara sauce. Very simple, yet it was always eaten first. So, I wanted to see what I could do with a pound of Italian sausage (and lucky that my city just happens to be the hometown of Graziano's Italian Sausage).

Sausage Marsala

SAUSAGE MARSALA
Serves 4

16 oz linguine
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage
4 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 yellow onion, cut in half & thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
salt & black pepper
1/2 tsp each dried basil & oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup grated romano
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large saute pan over low heat. Cover and cook sausage about 12 minutes total, turning to brown on all sides. Remove to a cutting board and let rest. Cook linguine according to package directions, drain and return immediately to pan, add a little butter and cover to keep warm.

2. There should be juices left in the saute pan, if not add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add 1 Tbsp butter, the onions and bell pepper. Add salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Stir to combine and cook on medium heat about 5 minutes until vegetables soften. Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir, cook 1 minute longer.

3. Add marsala and cook down a bit, about 5 minutes, then add the broth and tomato paste. Stir to mix in the tomato paste, cook 5 more minutes. Add the romano and stir until melted. Lower heat and add the cream.

4. Add linguine to pan and toss to combine. Serve immediately in pasta bowls with a little romano grated on top.

Sausage & Tortellini Soup

SAUSAGE & TORTELLINI SOUP
Serves 4

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb Italian sausage links
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/3 cup chopped zucchini
16 oz cheese tortellini
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp each dried basil & oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in soup pan over medium-low heat. Brown sausage on all sides, cook about 12 minutes total. Remove to a cutting board and let rest.

2. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to soup pan. Add onions, bell peppers carrots and Italian seasoning and sweat over medium heat about 5 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

3. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Turn heat up to high to start boiling, then turn to lower heat to simmer 10 minutes. Cut sausage into bite-size pieces, add to soup along with cream.

4. To serve, add portion of cooked tortellini to each soup bowl. Ladle in soup and top with shredded Parmesan.