1 ½ cup dry red wine

1 Tbsp. dried basil

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

5 cups beef broth or (5 beef bullion cubes and 5 cups water)

1 (16oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 large zucchini, sliced

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

1 medium green pepper diced

2 cups thinly sliced favorite mushrooms

Sauté sausage, onion, and garlic in Dutch oven/large saucepan over med-high heat until cooked through.  Add spices and wine.  Allow wine to reduce (cook down) a bit.  Add broth, tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  [At this point, soup may be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days (or frozen for longer)---which allows the flavors to meld beautifully].   Return to boil, add tortellini to soup and cook until tender, approximately 10-12 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with sprinkled Parmesan cheese. 

Note: Depending on your personal preference, you may want to add zucchini at the end (last 5-10 minutes), rather than with the other veggies.  This soup is very forgiving, feel free to omit the veggies you do not like, add others, decrease the wine, increase the garlic….serve with thick-crusted bread, and a glass of red wine if you like.  Enjoy!