Italian Sausage Soup

 

This is maybe my third favorite soup (after Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup and Hot and Sour and tied with Pasta e Faggioli).  It's easy, pretty fast, and satisfying.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage
2 Tb butter
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tb flour
6 cups chicken broth
24 oz. frozen mini ravioli or tortellini
1 - 1 1/2 cups half and half or cream
2-4 cups of baby spinach
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Brown sausage, remove from pot and drain.  Add butter to pot.  Once melted add bell pepper, onion, and salt.  Cook until softened stirring from time to time. Add flour and cook for a minute or two, stirring often.  Whisk in chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring often.  Once it comes to a boil add ravioli. Cook for 4 minuets (or however long the pasta package says to) gently stirring every minute or so.  Add half and half and sausage to pot and let it warm up for a few minutes.  Then add the baby spinach.  I like to tear it up by hand and add it to individual bowls so that there isn't super wilted spinach in the leftover soup. Garnish with Parmesan.