Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini (Printable)
Hearty butternut squash soup with sausage, tortellini, and a creamy sage cheese swirl for a cozy weeknight dinner.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled and cubed
02 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 stalks celery, sliced
→ Meats
06 - 14 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
→ Pasta
07 - 10 oz cheese tortellini (fresh or refrigerated)
→ Liquids
08 - 6 cups chicken broth
09 - 2/3 cup heavy cream
→ Herbs & Spices
10 - 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped (divided)
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
13 - Salt and pepper, to taste
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Sage Cheese Swirl
15 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - 2 oz ricotta cheese
17 - 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
18 - 1 tbsp milk
19 - Pinch of salt and pepper
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage with casings removed and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned throughout. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in cubed butternut squash, dried thyme, ground nutmeg, and half of the chopped fresh sage. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes to coat the squash in the seasonings.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes until the butternut squash is fork-tender.
05 - Use an immersion blender to purée part or all of the soup for a creamy base. Blend to your preferred consistency — fully puréed for a silky texture or partially blended for a chunkier soup.
06 - Return the browned sausage to the pot. Stir in the cheese tortellini and simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes until the tortellini is cooked through and tender.
07 - Pour in the heavy cream and add the remaining chopped fresh sage. Heat gently without boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat.
08 - In a small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, ricotta cheese, finely chopped fresh sage, milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.
09 - Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls. Add a generous spoonful of the sage cheese mixture to each bowl and swirl gently with a spoon or knife. Garnish with extra fresh sage leaves or cracked pepper and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sage cheese swirl on top will make you question why every soup does not come with one.
- It tastes like it took all day but comes together in about an hour with mostly hands off simmering.
02 -
- If you add the tortellini too early they will dissolve into mush before the soup even finishes, so wait until the very end.
- Do not let the soup boil after adding the cream or it can separate and look grainy instead of silky.
03 -
- Peel and cube the squash the night before to cut your active cooking time in half on busy evenings.
- Browning the sausage well before removing it is what creates that deep savory backbone that makes people ask what your secret is.