Tortellini Soup With Italian Sausage & Spinach

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound ground Italian Sausage

1/2 cup diced onion about ½ medium sized onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes

32 ounces vegetable broth chicken works too

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

salt and pepper to taste

9 ounces refrigerated tortellini

2 cups packed fresh spinach

Crostini

6 Baguette slices (about ⅓ of a baguette)

1 tablespoon Butter

2 tablespoons Freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

Soup

Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Heat vegetable oil and add diced onion.

Saute until onions are beginning to softed; 3-4 minutes

Crumble Italian Sausage and garlic with the onion. Cook until sausage is no longer pink; about 4-5 minutes. Drain any excess grease.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, vegetable (or chicken) broth, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add tortellini and spinach and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Garnish with shredded Parmesan and serve with a cheesy crostini crouton.

Crostini

Slice baguette into ½ inch thick slices.

Butter one side and place butter side down in a hot skillet until golden brown.

Flip bread slices over and sprinkle with Parmesan while the other side gets golden brown.

Transfer to a plate and immediately cover loosely with foil if cheese has not completely melted.