Italian Vegetable Soup

The basis for this recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis' latest cookbook "Everyday Pasta." I took her recipe and removed some things that I didn't like, and added some extra veggies, etc.

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes, including all liquid
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 pound frozen tortellini (I use Rosetto, which comes in a 1 pound bag, so I use half of a bag)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or thyme, or any fresh herb you have handy)

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute about 5 minutes. Add about half of the minced garlic, and all of the zucchini, carrots, artichokes, salt and pepper, and saute until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the veggie broth and the can of tomatoes (with their juices) and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Bring the soup back up to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, add the frozen peas and frozen tortellini, and cook for about 3-4 minutes (according to the instructions on the tortellini packaging).
Meanwhile, combine the remaining garlic, the parmesan, softened butter, and rosemary in a small bowl and stir with a fork until well blended.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of the parmesan mixture and serve. Goes great with some crusty italian or french bread. Makes about 6 large servings.