1 lb. hot or mild Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lg. onion, chopped
4 (14.5 oz.) cans tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 c. water
1 tbsp. chopped fresh fennel or 1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
1 (9 oz.) pkg. tortellini

Remove sausage casing; crumble sausage in a large Dutch oven. Add garlic and onion; cook until meat is browned. Drain meat; pour off pan drippings. Add tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and add to soup. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Yield: 11 cups.