Sausage, Kale & Tortellini Soup

Food

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Sausage, Kale & Tortellini soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound mild Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1tbsp anchovy paste (trust me on this)
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1/2-1 bunch curly kale, stemmed and roughly torn (if the bunch is really large, use half)
• 10 ounces fresh tortellini
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

A few notes on making this: 

• Anchovy paste might seem an odd ingredient, but it adds a nice step of flavor. I usually find it in the same area where the tomato paste is in my grocery store. 
• Make sure to buy a block of fresh Parmesan and grate it or shave it into the soup yourself. 
• If you have an old Parmesan rind saved, you can also add that into the soup while it simmers. 
• Sometimes I’ve gotten a very large bunch of kale, and if that’s the case, I only put half into the soup. Make sure it’s torn into very small pieces.

Directions:

• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 
• Add the sausage, onion, and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. 
• Add salt, and tomato & anchovy pastes, and whisk to incorporate. 
• Pour in wine to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. 
• Simmer for a minute or so, until wine reduces slightly.
• Whisk in the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes, and mix to incorporate. 
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes. 
• Stir in the kale, tortellini, and cream. 
• Cook until the kale is wilted and the pasta is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. 
• Ladle the soup into bowls.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired, before serving.