Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Ingredients:

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 c. yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 c. beef broth

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. red cooking wine

1 can Italian tomatoes with basil, olive oil and garlic

1 c. thinly sliced carrots

1/2 Tbsp. dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 c. sliced zucchini or fresh spinach

1 (8 oz.) package cheese tortellini pasta

3 Tbsp. chopped dried parsley

Directions

In a 5-qt Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.

Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.