Let’s take a trip to the beautiful Italian countryside. We’ll get a nice warm welcome from the gorgeous architecture, the marvelous views, and of course, some delicious homemade Rustic Italian Soup. Sounds like a dream vacation, doesn’t it? Well, you might not have the time to make that trip, but at least you can still experience the cheesy tortellini, spicy Italian turkey sausage, and tender spinach this yummy, savory soup has to offer from the comfort of your own home. Top it with some parmesan cheese and Rustic Italian Soup will take your tastebuds on the most extravagantly tasty adventure they’ve ever been on!
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini or pasta shells
- 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
- 2 1/4 teaspoons fresh basil, minced or 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- parmesan cheese, optional, shredded, and to taste
Directions
Step 1 –In a Dutch oven, add the sausage and the onion, crumbling the sausage.
Step 2 –Over medium heat, cook the sausage, while stirring, until it is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 3 –Add the garlic to the cooked sausage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 4 –Stir the broth, the water, and the tomatoes into the sausage mixture and bring to a boil.
Step 5 –Add the tortellini to the broth mixture.
Step 6 –Return the broth mixture to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini are almost tender.
Step 7 –Reduce the heat to low-medium.
Step 8 –Add the spinach, the basil, the pepper, and the red pepper flakes to the broth mixture.
Step 9 –Cook the soup until the spinach is wilted and the tortellini are tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 10 –Serve with the cheese.