1poundground mild Italian sausage(or uncooked links with casings removed)
½teaspoonsalt
½cupdiced yellow onion
2teaspoonsminced garlic
1small bunch kaleI used lacinto kale, stems removed, chopped, rinsed, and drained
4cupslow sodium chicken broth
28ouncecan crushed tomatoesSan Marzano tomatoes (real Italian tomatoes) are highly recommended
1teaspoonItalian seasoning
½teaspoondried basil
¼teaspooncrushed red pepper
¼teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
8 to 10ouncescheese tortellini(refrigerated)
½cupshredded Parmesanplus additional for garnish
Instructions
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and place it over MEDIUM heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until completely crumbled and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a double layer of paper towels and blot with additional paper towels to remove as much excess grease as possible. Pour off or wipe excess grease from the pan.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and place it over MEDIUM heat. Add onion, garlic, kale, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring, for two or three minutes, or until the onion has softened and the kale is slightly wilted. Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, cooked sausage, Italian seasoning, and basil. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a low boil then reduce the heat to LOW, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the cover and stir in the tortellini. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the tortellini is tender. Stir in the Parmesan and remove from the heat.
Garnish individual servings with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
To reheat leftovers, thin out to desired consistency with a little water or additional chicken broth before warming in the microwave.