Sausage and Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
1 pound of your favorite fresh Italian style sausage
8 oz cheese tortellini
2 ribs celery, sliced thin
2 carrots, sliced thin
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 - 1/2 cup white wine, vermouth, or similar - Marsala is good, too ( optional )
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil over medium low heat in a large soup pot, dutch oven
or such. When fragrant sweat the onion and garlic for 4 - 5
minutes, stirring frequently. Don't scorch the garlic - this is a sweat, not a saute, you aren't trying to brown anything yet.
Add the chicken stock, celery, carrots, basil and oregano to the pot
with the onion and garlic. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
While the stock is simmering, brown the sausage in a heavy skillet over
medium heat. If using links, cut off the casings and break up the
sausage into bite sized chunks. You don't want diners to be
asking for a fork and knife to cut up the meat. Add the browned
sausage to the soup. Pour off any excess fat from the skillet, a
tablespoon or two left over will be just fine. Crank up the
heat and deglaze the skillet with the wine, or with a ladle or two of
broth from the soup. Reduce for a few minutes, then add to the
soup.
Add the tortellini to the soup. If using fresh pasta, simmer for
6 - 7 minutes. If using a frozen type, you may need to go 15
minutes or so. While the tortellini is cooking, taste the soup, adjust the seasonings. When the pasta is cooked, serve. Garnish
with chopped scallions or shaved pecarino romano, or parmesan, or some
red pepper flakes, or garlic croutons, or ...
