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Jared fishes out all the pepper bits he can find and piles them on the rim of his plate. Dustin does likewise with the zucchini. But everyone loves the tortellini.
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 medium zucchinis, trimmed
2 medium green, red and/or yellow sweet peppers, cored
1 medium onion, peeled and trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil, or vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
4 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp tomato paste
1 cup uncooked cheese- or meat-filled fresh tortellini
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Preheat the broiler element of your oven.
With a sharp knife, cut the peppers, carrots, zucchini and onion up into ½ in. (1 cm) dice – all more or less the same size. Toss together in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, oregano and thyme, and mix well to coat evenly. Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet with sides or shallow baking pan. Place on the top rack of the oven, closest to the element and broil for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes so that the veggies brown evenly. They should become tender crisp and nicely charred in spots. The burnt bits are the best part – no, really, they are. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the broth, water, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the tortellini and cook for 5 minutes. Now dump in the roasted vegetables, bring the soup back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 more minutes or until the tortellini are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve bowls of soup sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.
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