Tortellini Soup

Creamy, tomatoey, hearty, and perfect for autumn. A heavenly combo -- like cream of tomato soup and a plate of pasta got happily married.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 14 oz. can diced, roasted tomatoes

• 14 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 pound spicy sausage, cooked and crumbled (or cut up sausage links)

• 2 tsp brown sugar

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

• 2 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (more, if you want broth-y soup)

• 1 cup heavy cream (more, if you want creamier soup)

• 16 oz. pasta sauce or marinara

• 8 oz. pizza sauce

• 9 oz. cheese-filled tortellini (we used regular and gluten-free)

• Fresh basil and grated parmesan for garnish

Preparation:

• Mince your garlic and rinse/drain the beans. Prepare your crockpot to fill.

• Combine all spices in a bowl: Italian seasoning, brown sugar, black and red pepper.

• If sausage is uncooked, crumble into small pieces and cook in a skillet on the stovetop. Use the same pan to brown the garlic for a minute.
  

Make the soup:

• Combine into the crockpot: tomatoes, beans, cooked sausage.

• Pour in chicken broth, cream, pasta sauce, pizza sauce.

• Stir in the spices.

• Set the crockpot to low, cover, and let cook about 4 hours until ready to serve. You can turn the crockpot to warm if you make the soup earlier in the day.

• Stir and taste occasionally. Adjust the cream, broth and spices as you wish.

• About 10 minutes before serving, make the tortellini per the package instructions (usually, add to boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes). Drain.

Serving:

• Scoop tortellini into bowls.

• Ladle soup over the tortellini and top with shredded fresh basil and parmesan.

• Crusty, buttered French bread makes a lovely side. We made rosemary butter with the dried rosemary from our garden.

Backstory:

Our local Saturday morning news program featured this recipe, but as we watched them prepare it, it didn't seem quite right. Only a tablespoon of cream, not the right spices, served right away instead of letting it simmer and brew. When we realized we had all the ingredients except for cream and tortellini, the game was afoot -- and perfect for a rainy, chilly, football Sunday in October. Sometimes the best recipes are the ones you adopt and adapt.