sausage and fennel tortellini

i know i have been using a lot of fennel in my dishes lately, but it is 1. in season and 2. so good.  i really can't seem to get enough!  so, apologies if you are not the biggest fan, but here it is again.  this pasta dish is tasty...enjoy! sausage and fennel tortellini

adapted from bon appétit

in a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil. add 2 large fennel bulbs, thinly sliced lengthwise, 1 pound of spicy italian sausage (i used spicy chicken italian style sausage from trader joe's), cut into coins, and 10 ounces of sliced baby bella mushrooms.  sauté the mixture until the sausage is browned and cooked through, and the fennel is almost tender, 12-15 minutes.

add 4 cloves of minced garlic and stir for 1 minute.  pour in a 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and 1 cup of chicken broth and bring to a boil.  continue to boil until liquid is reduced and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook 1 (16 ounce) package of dried three cheese tortellini according to package instructions.  drain the tortellini and return to pot.  add sausage mixture to tortellini and toss over medium heat until blended. mix in 1 bag of spinach leaves and toss gently until spinach wilts.  stir in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  if mixture becomes too dry, add more chicken broth by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten.  season with salt, pepper, and top with paremsan cheese.  we had warmed tuscan white bread with butter and a spinach salad topped with candied pecans and champagne pear vinaigrette as our sides.