Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

My DD found this in a recent issue of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking and made it for dinner. Although she subbed a combo of hot and mild sausage for the turkey links, it turned was great! Paired with Italian bread this was a filling and hearty soup, especially good on this raw, rainy Sunday night.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3  Italian turkey sausage, links. casings removed (4 ounces each)
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 6  garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14 1/2ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth
• 1 3⁄4 cups water
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (9 ounce) package  refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 (6 ounce) package  fresh  Baby Spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 1⁄4 teaspoons  minced fresh basil or 3⁄4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1  dash crushed red pepper flakes
•  shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion.
2. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.
3. Add garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
4. Add the broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
5. Stir in tortellini; return to a boil.
6. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until tortellini are tender, stirring occasionally.
7. Add the spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes; cook 2 - 3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.
8. Serve with cheese if desired.