Hot Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Comfort food at its best. Make sure you have a baugette to dip into the soup.

• Ready In: 4 hrs
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 12 cups

Ingredients

• 1  lb hot Italian sausage
• 2  cups onions, coarsely chopped
• 6 -8  garlic cloves, minced
• 5  cups  beef stock
• 2  cups carrots, thinly sliced
• 14 1⁄2 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1  cubed zucchini
• 1  red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6  ounces tomato paste
• 8  ounces tomato sauce
• 1  lb  tortellini
•  italian parsley

Directions

1. Remove and discard casings from the sausage.
2. In a large Dutch oven, brown sausage over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Set sausage aside.
3. Add onion and garlic to the drippings in the pan; cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender about 5 minutes.
4. Add tomato paste to onion and garlic mixture for about 1 minute.
5. Now add the the wine and let cook for 1 minute.
6. Now add the rest of the liquids - beef stock and tomato's - Stir well to incorporate.
7. Add the carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stirring well.
8. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to med.-low, and simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes.
9. Add tortellini and parsley, stirring well.
10. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until tortellini is tender. Adjust spices to taste.
11. Ladle soup into individual soup bowls. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.