Mamma Mia Minestrone

Mamma Mia Minestrone

1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, cut into small pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into small pieces
2 mild Italian sausages, about 1/2 pound total (raw, not cooked)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium zucchini, cut into small pieces
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup broken spaghetti (break into 1-inch pieces)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can (28 ounces) peeled and crushed tomatoes
salt
grated Parmesan cheese

Put the onion, carrot, and celery pieces into a large saucepan. Remove casing from the sausage, break the sausage meat into small pieces with your fingers, and add the meat pieces and butter to the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the sausage loses all its red color, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, chopped zucchini, spaghetti pieces, oregano and tomatoes (with the juices from the can) to the pan. Stir the mixture lightly.

Bring to a boil on high heat. Immediately reduce the heat until the mixture barely bubbles. Simmer the soup, uncovered, stirring gently once or twice, until the spaghetti and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Taste the soup and add a little salt if desired. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Pass a dish of grated Parmesan cheese at the table, and tell people to sprinkle cheese over the soup, if they want.