Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it is browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Push the sausage to one side of the pot and spoon out any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.
1 Tbsp Olive oil, 1 lb Italian sausage
Adjust heat to medium, then add onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant.
1 ea Onion, diced, 6 cloves Garlic, minced, 1 tsp Paprika, 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds, 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust heat to high, stir in tomato purée and stock, cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil, then add the tortellini and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
2 Tbsp Tomato paste, 28 oz Tomato puree, 8 cups Chicken stock, 10 oz Cheese tortellini
Add the heavy cream, kale and basil, and cook, stirring, until warmed through and the kale and basil are just wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
1-1/4 cups Heavy cream, 1 bunch Tuscan (lacinato) kale, leaves stripped and chopped, 1/2 cup Fresh basil, chopped, 1 ea Lemon, juiced
Serve warm topped with plenty of grated Parmesan. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Grated Parmesan