Step 1: Sauté the Sausage

Heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided pot over medium heat. Add your crumbled sausage and cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally until the meat is fully browned and cooked through. Drain all excess grease from the pot before moving to the next step to keep the broth light.

Step 2: Build the Flavor Base

Once the grease is drained, sprinkle the Italian seasoning and paprika over the sausage. Stir in the cubed sweet potatoes, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Toss everything to coat the ingredients evenly and toast the tomato paste slightly for deeper flavor.

Step 3: Simmer the Soup

Pour in 6 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Step 4: Cook the Tortellini

Add the refrigerated tortellini to the simmering broth. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or as directed on your tortellini package, until the pasta is perfectly tender.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Stir in the fresh spinach and cook until just wilted. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Season with salt and additional red pepper flakes to taste, then garnish with fresh thyme before serving.

Pro Tips

• Be careful with adding salt; some sausages are naturally high in sodium, so taste your soup before adding any extra salt.
• If the cream appears separated after cooling, do not panic! Simply reheat the soup on the stove while stirring, and the emulsion will return to a creamy state.
• For extra heat, increase the red pepper flakes or use a spicy variety of sausage.
• Add the spinach at the very end to keep it bright green and avoid overcooking it into mush.