1. Peel the onion and garlic and dice them finely. Remove the sausage meat from the casings and crumble it slightly. Set everything aside.

2. Heat a large (cast-iron) pot* with a little olive oil and sauté the onion first, then the garlic. Once both are soft and glossy, add the crumbled sausage meat and brown it for about 4-5 minutes – you want some color but do not burn the onion and garlic. Deglaze with the chicken broth and season with a little salt and pepper. Bring everything to a boil, then add the tortellini and let them simmer in the broth according to the package instructions – the ones I used needed about 5 minutes. Add the baby spinach leaves in the last minute, cook them briefly so they can wilt. Season the soup with some more salt and pepper to your liking, then divide it among bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and/or a few chili flakes (optional).