This soup is SOUPer simple and so satisfying. It’s a riff on a Rachael Ray Pizza Soup recipe that I’ve tweaked again and again over the years, so here’s my version. (I was actually making this last week when I made the cornbread post, because they go so well together!) You can make it with or without meat, and it’s delicious either way.

You’ll Need:

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

2 quarts chicken broth/stock or vegetable broth/stock

1 lb crumbled and browned Italian sausage (ground beef works, too, if pork isn’t your thing)

1 large onion, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

3-4 carrots, sliced

1 bag of ready-made tortellini (from the refrigerator case), or just a bag of regular short-cut pasta, in a pinch

1 palmful of each: dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley

A bag of baby spinach (feel free to leave it out if green stuff is a problem)

Salt & pepper to taste

A pinch of red pepper flakes, if you like a little zing

Method:

Brown & drain the meat, & saute the vegetables. Dump both into a stock pot or Dutch oven (or even into the crock pot if you’re gonna leave it a few hours). Add the herbs, salt & pepper, broth, & pasta sauce. Simmer for a half hour or so, and add the tortellini (follow cooking time on the tortellini package). In the last couple of minutes, add the spinach (or not).

If you want it to be less soupy and more of a baked pasta dish, skip all the broth, spoon it into a baking dish, top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, and pop it under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and browned.

Top the soup with shaved parmesan cheese, if you’re feeling fancy. Serve with cornbread or crusty sourdough, and watch it disappear. It makes plenty for the next day’s lunch, too!