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Minestrone with Sweet Sausage
and Tortellini

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La Cucina
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Pullen, Grace
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Minestrone with Sweet Sausage
and Tortellini
The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook
by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins with Sarah Leah Chase,
1985, Workman Publishing, New York

10 to 12 portions

1/3 cup best-quality olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into thin rings
4 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 fennel bulb, chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded,
and cut into 1/2-inch squares
3 medium-size zucchini, diced
1 1/2 cups diagonally sliced green beans
1 medium-size green cabbage, shredded
5 cups beef stock
5 cups water
1 can (35 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Outer rind of a 2-inch chunk of
Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 1/2 cups canned cannellini (beans), drained
1 pound cheese-stuffed tortellini
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage,
pan fried, drained and sliced
Freshly grated Fontina cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion
and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the carrots and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, tossing occasionally.
3. Add the fennel, potatoes, green pepper, zucchini, and green beans,
sautéing each vegetable 2 to 3 minutes before adding the next. When
all the vegetables have been added to the pot, stir in the cabbage and
cook 5 minutes more.
4. Add the stock, water, tomatoes with their juice, oregano, basil, and
salt and pepper to taste. Bury the Parmesan rind in the middle of the
soup. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered over low heat
for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The soup will be very thick.
5. Fifteen minutes before serving, stir in the cannellini beans and the
tortellini. Raise the heat to cook the tortellini, but stir the soup occa-
sionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Just before
serving, stir in the sausage.
6. Ladle the minestrone into shallow pasta bowls and garnish lavishly
with Fontina.