Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

 

As most of you probably know, there's a big event coming up this weekend. No, I'm not talking about football, I'm talking about #NationalTortelliniDay! February 13th is also #NationalItalianFoodDay as well. 

 

We do pasta here about once a week and it can get a bit tedious for me.  The guys don't care, they'll eat their pasta and sauce and whatever carb-y side I make to go with it, but I'm always looking for something a bit more exciting.

 

I found Tracy F's Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup on the Taste of Home site and I particularly liked that it had tips on how to freeze it because I knew I'd be the only one eating it.  I made just a few small changes. 

Since I like spicy, I used hot Italian Sausage in place of the regular.  Broth comes in 32oz boxes, so instead of using the water I used the entire container.   I didn't really measure the pepper, I just gave it a few twists on the grinder.

This really hit the spot after a long afternoon of clearing the winter weather out of our driveway.  It's also nice to have some stashed in the freezer to have for an easy lunch or dinner! I served it with Italian Herb Biscuits and I'll be sharing that recipe with you later in the month.

 

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound hot Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 32oz reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Dash crushed red pepper flakes
• Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

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

Notes:

Slightly adapted from: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/rustic-italian-tortellini-soup/

Freeze option: Place individual portions of cooled soup in freezer containers and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add broth if necessary.

Recommended Products:

Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 6qt

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Herbed Chicken and Spinach Soup

Chickpea Tortilla Soup

tortellini, sausage,

Soup, Main dishes, lunch, freezer

American