Creamy Tortellini Soup with Sausage - Serving Dumplings

Ingredients

• 14 ounces cheese tortellini
• 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or hot, no casings)
• 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 shallots (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 cup puréed tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan
• fresh thyme (for serving)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (more for serving)
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• salt (to taste)