1 tablespoon butter

5 (3.5 ounce) link sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onions
5 cloves garlic, minced 
1 shallot (2 cloves), chopped
7 cups beef stock (2 containers)
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oragano 
2 cups tomato sauce 
4 zucchinis, chopped 
16 ounces sweet Italian sausage tortellini
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Homemade Croutons
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Place the sausage in pot and sauté for 10 minutes, or until well browned. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.  To the remaining fat, add the onions, half of the carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and sauté for 5 more minutes.

 

Add the beef stock, water, wine, tomatoes, basil, oregano tomato sauce and remainder of the carrots. Return sausage to the pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 60 minutes, skimming any fat that may surface.

 

Add the zucchini, tortellini, and parsley to taste.  Simmer for 10 minutes, or until tortellini is fully cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour into individual bowls and garnish with the cheese and croutons.

Sometimes I use more or less sausage.

I like fresh tortellini - if I can find the sausage filled tortellini, it works better than the cheese tortellini.

 

I have used marsala wine every time I cooked this.  I might try it with a different red wine (although I like the taste so much, I don't know that I want to mess with it).

 

If you want, you can also add some red and green pepper or some pepper flakes.  Add the pepper flakes when you add the beef stock.  Add the fresh peppers when you add the zucchini.

 

The cooking time varies.  I think you can cook this for an extra hour if you want and it will still come out fine (maybe even richer as it reduces).  Just make sure to add the zucchini and tortellini when you are at 10 minutes to go.

 

Every time we have served it, we didn't let it cool.  So, it is good, but hot.  I probably need to come up with a recommended cooling time to get it so I can plan on when to serve.