Creamy Tomato, Basil, Sausage & Tortellini Soup

We are going through a cold snap here - the weather is perfect for soup!! I love soup. Truly. Deeply. Faithfully.

I wanted something creamy but hearty - like nothing I've ever had before. So I came up with this...

Creamy Tomato, Basil, Sausage & Tortellini Soup
20 oz fresh tortellini (I chose 3 cheese Buitoni)
1 1/2 - 2 lbs ground sausage
1 qt. Half & Half
32 oz chicken stock
1 c flour
1 stick butter
1 1/2 - 2 c marinara sauce
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 T fresh basil (I am loving the herbs that come in a tube!)
Salt & Pepper to taste


Brown sausage in large stock pot. Set sausage aside in a different vessel (I just put it on a plate). In a separate pot - cook the pasta per the directions on the package. In that same pot you cooked the sausage in, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 5 minutes to slightly brown the mixture. Whisk in the broth. Increase the heat and cook and stir until thickened. Decrease the heat to low, stir in the half and half and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the marinara sauce, tomatoes, basil, tortellini and sausage and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*This was so good - I'm tempted to make it again tonight!! YUMMMM.