Italian Sausage Soup a Fall Favorite

Its hard to beleive that almost 16 years ago I was interviewing for live in Nanny jobs in Boston. What a weird time! Sometimes I look back and still can't beleive that was me.Another post for a nother time!
 When I met the Bertelson family Lisa( the mom) was still pregnant with Abby. We chatted and talked about life- I saw their home(ummm HUGE) and looked at the nursery. We then went into the kitchen where the most wonderful smell was waiting for us to have lunch. It was the recipe below and I beleive it was the real reason I "chose" them!! Lisa and Bob are wonderful in the kitchen and I learned alot about cooking, grilling and crockpotting from them. I learned to eat MORE fish and all sorts of Mexican HOT and spicy dishes(which included peppers of all sorts from the Santa Fe School of Cooking) YES they ordered their peppers and had them shipped in! - We ate Jack-O-Latern soup(SOOOOOOOOOO FUN) on Halloween and never let the weather(shoveling off the desk right around the grill) stop us from a great grilled hamburger or steak. I just have such wonderful memories of cooking and learning from them about food and wine. Every Fall when I bust out my favorite recipes this soup is always among them. Its hearty and full of LOVE! It makes me miss all of them so much. I hope you try it! It is ALOT of prep but so worth it- enough for a few families to share--

Italian Sausage & Cheese Tortellini Soup

6 servings

1 lb of sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)

1 cup of chopped onion

2 large garlic cloves, sliced

5 cups of beef stock(low sodium)

2 cups chopped tomatoes(about 3/4 lb fresh or 1 ½ 14 oz can)

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 large zucchini sliced into strips

1 large carrot thinly sliced

1 medium green bell pepper diced

½ cup dry red wine(or dark cooking wine)

2 tlbs dried basil

2 tlbs dried oregano

9 oz package of fresh cheese tortellini

freshly grated parmesan cheese



sauté sausage over medium/high heat until cooked through, crumbling with the back of the spoon, about 10 mins using slotted spoon transfer sausage to a large bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from pan.



Add onion, garlic to pan and sauté until translucent about 5 mins. (low fat version may need olive oil)

Return sausage to pan. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, veggies and wine, basil and oregano. Simmer until veggies are tender about 40 minutes.

Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with s&p. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread.