Looking for an easy one-pot dinner that’s comforting, flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes? This creamy Italian sausage tortellini soup is the perfect solution for busy weeknights or anytime, really. Made with savory Italian sausage, tender cheese tortellini, rich cream cheese, and fresh spinach, this hearty soup delivers restaurant-quality flavor with minimal prep and cleanup. It’s a cozy, family-friendly meal that comes together in a single pot—perfect for when you want a quick, satisfying dinner without sacrificing taste.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Soup season is my favorite season of the year. Actually, I think soup season might be almost all year for me. 😉
You will love this one-pot, weeknight-friendly meal; it’s comfort food with an Italian flair. The rich, creamy flavor of the soup is customizable making it family-friendly. And as the cook, you will appreciate the minimal prep which also means, minimal clean-up!
Ingredients for One Pot Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Don’t let the simple ingredients for Creamy, Sausage, Spinach, Tortellini Soup fool you. They will provide big FLAVOR all on their own or you can customize them for your own special twist.
- Italian Sausage – Use whatever heat preference you like: mild, sweet or hot.
- Premade Five-Cheese Tortellini (I like Rana the best!).
- Canned Italian Style Diced Tomatoes (If you use regular diced tomatoes, add a little extra seasoning.)
- Cream Cheese (I think the name-brand, full-fat melts the best.)
- Vegetable or Chicken broth. I’ve used both with success.
- Dried Italian Seasoning blend.
- Fresh spinach. Straight out of the bag or chopped for smaller pieces.
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt are totally optional but add a extra dose of creaminess at the end.
- Parmesan cheese makes the perfect garnish with it’s crisp, tangy bite.
Best Tortellini for Soup
Refrigerated tortellini works best for this recipe. I’ve used Buitonni, an Aldi brand, and I think one I found at Costco and I always come back to Rana for the best consistency.
Follow the package directions and do not over cook or the pasta gets too mushy. Tortellini needs to have a little snap to it, in my opinion.
Ingredient Swaps or Add-Ins
That said, everything in this one-pot soup is pretty forgiving and can be customized.
ITALIAN SAUSAGE – The flavor and heat level of Italian Sausage is up to you. And if you don’t eat pork, feel free to substitute a chicken or turkey sausage. I think you could even use ground beef, onion, and garlic mixture along with more Italian spices, including a little fennel seed.
TOMATOES – The diced tomatoes don’t have to be Italian style; often the can will say, “with garlic, onions, and basil“, or you can use plain and just up the amount of Italian seasoning, and/or add a little garlic and onion while browning the meat. Keep in mind that doing so will increase the prep steps which is why just increase the Italian seasoning and add a little garlic powder.
SOUR CREAM OR YOGURT – This is no a necessary ingredient, but I usually have one or both of these on hand and enjoy the extra tang of adding the sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. But you could also add a splash of heavy cream for extra richness. It’s REALLY good all on it’s own too!
*If you love easy one pot meals, be sure to check out this Easy Cheesy Chicken Chili recipe!
How to Make Creamy Tortellini Soup (One Pot)
Brown the Italian Sausage
We always start making our tortellini sausage spinach soup by browning the ground meat. This is the 6.5 quart Dutch oven I use, from this set, to give you an idea of the pan you want to use. I don’t drain the the drippings unless the Italian sausage is extra greasy.
Make the Soup Base
These next few steps can be switched around, or even combined, as long as you are left with a creamy tomato base.
Add the tomatoes to the Italian sausage. Use a spatula or meat masher to break them if you desire a less chunky consistency.
Add cubed cream cheese to the tomato base. Stir it occasionally until melted.
Add the chicken broth and Italian seasoning.
Bring to a low boil.
Stir in the spinach (chopped smaller if desired) and return to a boil.
Add the tortellini and cook according to the directions on the tortellini package. That’s four minutes if using Rana Five-Cheese Tortellini.
Turn off heat and stir in a big dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. This is completely optional but I think it adds a little zip and extra creaminess.
How to Store and Reheat Tortellini Soup
This easy tortellini soup with sausage reheats beautifully. I will often invite a friend over for lunch the day after I make it because it’s even better the next day. Put it in a pretty bowl and grab a cloth napkin and it also looks like you are the fanciest friend she has. 😉
Best Way to Reheat Creamy Tortellini Soup
I’ve successfully reheated my sausage tortellini soup in the microwave and on the stovetop. If it’s just me, I reheat it in a glass bowl in the microwave.
Stovetop reheating is overall the healthier reheating method. Plus, if you’re serving it to a friend, it makes it look like you made it just for them.
How To Store Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
I have only ever refrigerated the leftover quick weeknight Tortellini Soup so I’m not sure how it would freeze. In my experience, some pasta freezes well, while others do not. I’m guessing since this is more of a soup with a more liquid sauce, the pasta may become mushy once frozen and thawed.
If you have experience with this, let me know in the comment section and I’ll add it to the post.
This creamy Italian sausage tortellini soup is proof that a cozy, comforting meal doesn’t have to be complicated. With just one pot and a handful of simple ingredients, you get a rich, satisfying soup that feels indulgent yet easy enough for any night of the week. Whether you’re serving it for a quick family dinner or saving leftovers for lunch, this recipe is sure to become a repeat favorite whenever you’re craving something hearty, creamy, and full of flavor.
Will You Make this Creamy Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup?
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Did you keep it classic or add your own twist—like spicy sausage, extra veggies, or a splash of cream? Leave a comment below and let me know!
MAKE IT
CREAMY SAUSAGE, TORTELINNI, & SPINACH SOUP
Ingredients
- 1 bag Family Size Rana 5-Cheese Tortellini Rana works the best but you can substitute another tortellini (follow package directions)
- 1 pound Italian Sausage (mild, sweet, or hot) your preference
- 1 block Cream Cheese I prefer full fat for melting
- 32 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 14 oz Cans Italian style diced tomatoes or whatever you have on hand
- 9 ounces Fresh Spinach (one bag) chop it or put in whole
- 1+ tbsp Dried Italian seasoning or more to taste
- 1/4 cup Sour cream or Greek yogurt optional – to finish for extra creaminess
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese for garnish
Instructions
- In a soup pot, brown ground Italian Sausage
- Add canned Italian style tomatoes. (Crush with spatula if a slightly less chunky texture is desired.)
- Add broth and heat until bubbly.**
- Once bubbly, add cubed cream cheese and heat until melted, stirring often.
- ** The cream cheese can also be added just after the tomatoes and melted before adding the broth. Or add it altogether and melt that way… There's no messing this up!
- When the creamy liquid is boiling, stir in Italian seasoning and spinach and tortellini.
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions. For the Rana, that's 4 minutes. So not overcook or they will be soggy.
- When finished, turn off heat and add salt & pepper to taste.
- I like to add a big spoonful of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for a little extra creaminess.
- Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese. ENJOY!
Reheating
- This reheats beautifully either in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stovetop.
THE TOOLS
