Spicy Italian Sausage Whole Grain Penne Pasta and Vegetable Soup

Recipe by From a Chef's Kitchen

This soup is heaven in a bowl. It's everything you love about Italian cuisine!

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried whole-grain penne pasta
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, pork or turkey
• 4 tablespoons olive oil ((divided))
• 1 large onion (white or red) (finely chopped)
• 3 large carrots (chopped)
• 3 stalks celery (chopped)
• 1 large red bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 2 medium zucchini (halved lengthwise and thinly sliced)
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cans (15-ounce each) tomato sauce
• 1 canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes (undrained)
• 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup Fresh chopped parsley
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse with cold water to cool and set aside.
2. Brown the sausage well over medium heat in a skillet or saute pan, breaking it apart as you go, until browned and cooked through.  Drain well on a paper towel-lined plate.  Set aside.
3. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, carrot and celery.  Reduce heat to medium and cook 8-10 minutes or until tender.  Add the red, green pepper, zucchini and garlic and continue cooking 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.
4. Add the dry red wine, chicken broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes.
5. Transfer cooked sausage back to the pot.  Bring to a simmer and cook 15-20 minutes.  Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and black pepper.  Add the cooked pasta to the soup.
6. Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan cheese.

View the recipe instructions at From a Chef's Kitchen