Chuckie’s Tortellini and Sausage Stew

Source: The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • Sweet or hot Italian sausage: 1 Pounds
  • Chopped onion: 1 Cups
  • Garlic cloves, minced: 4 Each
  • Beef broth or stock: 10 Cups
  • Water: 1/2 Cups
  • Dry red wine: 1 Cups
  • 28 ounce can peeled tomatoes, chopped: 2 Each
  • Tomato sauce: 8 Ounces
  • Thinly sliced carrots: 1 Cups
  • Dried oregano: 1 1/2 Teaspoons
  • Dried basil: 1 1/2 Teaspoons
  • Small zucchini, sliced: 2 Each
  • Green bell pepper, chopped: 1 Each
  • Dry tortellini pasta: 2 Cups
  • Dried parsley: 3 Tablespoons
  • =Instructions=

Remove the casings from the sausage and cut into bite-size pieces. Brown the sausage in a large saucepan or nonreactive Dutch oven. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
Add the onion and garlic to the saucepan and saute over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Return the sausage to the pot along with the broth, water, wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, oregano, and basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Skim off any fat that rises to the top of the pot. Stir in the zucchini, green pepper, tortellini, and parsley. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes or until the pasta and vegetables are tender.