Some of you may have spent your Fat Tuesday catching beads, enjoying cocktails, and/or chasing chickens. However, I spent my freezing, rainy day cooking a big pot of Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini while wearing my Mardi Gras beads inside the house. 

This recipe was so amazingly good I just have to share. I am embarrassed to say the entire pot was cleared between two people over the course of the day. I won't take all of the credit for this delicious recipe. I found it on AllRecipes.com, but did a little tweaking of my own. You will need:

 

 

1 lb. hot, Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup water
1 large can of peeled, San Marzano tomatoes (in sauce)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 Tbsp fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 large zucchini, cut lengthwise and sliced
8 ounce package cheese tortellini
3 Tbsp fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
Fresh Parmesan Cheese

In a large Dutch oven or pot, brown the sausage over medium heat. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and drain onto a plate lined with a paper towel.

Next, add the chopped onion and carrots to the pot and saute in the remaining sausage drippings (add olive oil if needed). Saute together for 3-5 minutes and then add the minced garlic; saute for an additional 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their sauce and use a wooden spoon to gently break up the tomatoes. Then, add the beef broth, water, wine,  basil, oregano, and cooked sausage. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer the soup uncovered for up to an hour.

Skim the grease from the soup. Add the chopped zucchini and fresh parsley. Simmer together for an additional 30 minutes. The tortellinis should be added the last five minutes of the cooking process. Sprinkle your bowl of soup with Parmesan cheese and Voila! Bon Appetit!

 

 

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