- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 pound hot Italian pork sausage casings removed
- 1 yellow onion peeled and finely diced
- 2 bell peppers red or green, trimmed, deseeded, and finely diced
- 2 ribs celery trimmed and sliced
- 8 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper more or less depending on preference
- 6 cups water or chicken stock
- 15- ounce can diced tomatoes
- 16 ounces fresh tortelloni or tortellini
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Roast the spaghetti squash:
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, cut-side down, and roast for 40 minutes or until the squash is golden brown and cooked through. Turn off the heat and leave the squash in the warm oven as you finish the soup.
Brown the sausage:
Place the sausage in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook, turning occasionally, for 12–15 minutes until completely browned and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat in the soup pot and turn the heat back to medium-high.
Cook the aromatics:
Add the diced onion to the soup pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add the diced bell pepper and celery to the pot and cook an additional 7–8 minutes until just beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more—season all over with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter into the aromatics. Once bubbly, add the dry thyme and crushed red pepper and toss to coat the aromatics with the spices for 1 minute.
Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 38g | Sodium: 981mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin C: 102mg