Creamy Italian Tomato Soup

When I'm working on a project, I often like the comfort of television playing in the background. In cases such as this, I tend to turn on programs that I've already seen before, so I don't have to concentrate on what's happening, I can just enjoy it peripherally.

The other night I was watching The Big Bang Theory, an episode called, “The Intimacy Acceleration” (Season 8, Episode 16). In this episode, among other sub plots, Sheldon and Penny spend the evening performing an experiment to see whether people can fall in love in a few hours. Part of their conversation went like this.

Penny: Do you want to stop? I know you have trouble with eye contact.
Sheldon: Well, you have a brown fleck in your right iris that looks like a Formula 1 racecar, so I'm just concentrating on that. Plus it's easier around people I'm comfortable with.
Penny: Oh, sweetie, I'm comfortable around you, too.
Sheldon: Of course you are. I'm warm and soothing. I'm like a human bowl of tomato soup.

Huh, I thought. Tomato Soup really is warm and soothing. In this case, what would be more soothing for a meal on “Soup Some Soup Sunday” than a heartier, most satisfying version, and that led me to this recipe online. Talk about hearty comfort in a bowl! This is certainly it.

Creamy Italian Tomato Soup

Adapted from insidebrucrewlife.com

1 pound ground Italian Sausage

1 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth (or homemade stock)

2 cups water

8 ounces uncooked rotini pasta

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon dry basil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese mix

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the ground sausage into a medium stock pot and cook until done. Drain any excess grease that remains in the bottom of the pan.

Stir the onion, peppers, and garlic into the sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.

Pour in the tomatoes, broth, and water; bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and bring the mixture back to a boil. Keep the soup at a low boil for the amount of time indicated on the pasta box (in my case 11 minutes). Add the heavy cream, basil, and cheeses, and stir until all is melted and incorporated. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer on low until ready to eat. 

Top as desired. Serves 6.

PRINT RECIPE

This post is linked to:

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Art of Homemaking Monday

Happiness is Homemade
Inspire Me Tuesday
TUESDAYS AT OUR HOME
Dishing it and Digging it
Amaze Me Monday
Cooking & Crafting with J&J