Typically, cheese tortellini is enjoyed as a pasta dish in a nice thick creamy sauce, a tomato-based sauce, or tossed in a deliciously nutty brown butter type sauce. I’m sure there are are plenty of other ways to enjoy tortellini, but In my opinion, the absolute best way to enjoy it is swimming in a bowl of deliciously brothy tomato soup.

If you’ve ever enjoyed soup dumplings or dumpling soup, the concept of this tortellini soup is somewhat similar. With each bite, you get a delicious little bundle of cheesy pasta and a spoonful of the tastiest tomato soup. You can add extra veggies to the soup, and then with each taste, you may be surprised with a bite of broccoli rabe or tender carrots. Basically, every time you taste a spoonful of this soup you will be surprised with something delicious. Who doesn’t want that?

I love savory tomato-based soups with extra Parmesan cheese, olive oil, a few chili flakes to add some heat, and of course, pasta! If you fill the pasta with cheese, you can guarantee that I will like it even more. Basically, I could live off of tomatoes, cheese, and pasta in any form - pasta, pizza, risotto. The two weeks I spent in Italy during my honeymoon was basically the best culinary experience of my life. So, if you’re like me and you really enjoy Italy, Italian food, pasta, cheese, tomatoes, and soup, I promise you will love this soup.

What to look for in store-bought tortellini

• fresh tortellini can be found in the refrigerator section near the cheeses (mozzarella and ricotta) at your local grocery store.

• If you’re not going to use your fresh tortellini within a few days, it’s best to place it in the freezer. You can take it out of the freezer when you are ready to use and place it directly from frozen into boiling water.

• You can purchase dry tortellini that is shelf stable for much longer. It’s important to note that it will take much longer to cook this tortellini versus the fresh version.

• When looking for fresh tortellini, your best bet is to try them all until you find a brand you like best. You want the tortellini to become tender once cooked and have a nice nutty cheesy taste. You want to be able to taste the cheese flavor. I have found that some tortellini’s are too thin and the inner cheese filling seeps out while they are being boiled. My favorite store-bought tortellini is Giovanni Rana.

Cheese Tortellini Soup

serves 6 people

• prep time - 30 minutes

• cooking time - 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp of oil

• 1/4 small onion, diced

• 1 - 29 oz can of crushed tomatoes

• 2 carrots, sliced

• 1 tsp of chili flakes

• 4 cups of broth

• 10 oz of store-bought cheese tortellini

• 1 cup of chopped broccoli rabe

• 2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup of heavy cream

• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of oil on medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft.

2. Add the can of tomatoes, carrots, and chili flakes and stir.

3. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth and simmer until you can pierce the carrots with a fork but they are not mushy.

4. Add the tortellini and the broccoli rabe and simmer until the tortellini floats to the top of the soup.

5. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and the cream.

6. Taste and season will salt and pepper.

7. Continue to simmer until the broccoli rabe is tender. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

8. The soup can be kept in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for two months.