I call this Tuscan because if you have ever experienced the slightly more Northern Italian cuisine you will have noticed they go easy on the red sauce. Instead, their bases are hearty broths complimented by white beans and other vegetables, or meat. This soup reminds me of that kind of cooking.If you are a vedge, and you want to forego the meat, that will work out perfectly in this dish. It can easily stand on its own many veggies. I would suggest however that you pick up some italian sausage seasonings, as the purpose for adding the sausage is to add a little bit of kick to the dish. Or, just add some red pepper flakes.
The first thing I did was brown the sausage (meat removed from casing) with shallots in a dutch oven. I chose shallots instead of onions because I hear they are cousins of garlic and onions and I pretty much avoid garlic at all costs but like onions. This seemed like a compromise. Kind of like those two-in-one shampoos plus conditioner. Meanwhile, I chopped up some baby carrots. Why the babies? Because they are already peeled. Because I always have them on hand as a healthy snack. Because they cook faster and I love tender carrots in soup. Because I don't need a reason to use baby carrots instead of the big ugly ones. They are cute, okay? I like cute things. Once chopped up, I threw the carrots into the pan and seasoned with some Italian seasonings.
Next, I cubed two zucchini. The fastest way to cube a couple of zukes is to cut it in half lengthwise, then cut each half into strips. Line them up and chop them crosswise. Done. I added them to the pot, stirred, etc. Then I took one can of diced tomatoes and threw them in along with one can of white beans (your choice). Rinse can beans before using them-- no one needs the extra starch and it could make things gloppy. [Actually, it probably won't ruin it, I just always think 'glop glop' and then the idea of soup is ruined by the idea of gloppiness.] Then I stirred it all up and poured 32 oz of stock in to make it a soup. I chose chicken stock, you can choose veggie or beef, whatever, it will all taste good. Except maybe fish stock. I think that might be gross.
After leaving the soup simmer for as long as I could stand it (about 45 minutes... I kept myself occupied with other things to keep my mind off what I couldn't yet have), in a seperate pot I got some salted water boiling. Once that was on a roll, I tossed in my tri-colored tri-cheese tortellini. At the very same moment (yes, one hand was throwing tortellini into one pan while the other hand was dealing with the soup), I added the final flourish to the simmering zuppa... fresh baby spinach. The spinach and the tortellini cooked up in about the same time, so it was perfection. 
I threw some torts in a bowl, ladled the soup atop, and dusted the bowl of goodness (or if you were Rachey Ray you'd call this a stoup) with parmesan cheese and pepper (I usually go easy on the salt and pepper during the cooking process, especially with soups. Everyone has their own preference and those seasonings are easier to do bowl by bowl by bowl by bowl).
I know what you are thinking. Jenn, why are you making these tasty things in such large quantity? Isn't this supposed to be cooking for the one and only? And yes, friends, it is. However, in the winter, I'm going to be honest. Cooking for one isn't about sacrificing the homey dishes that families get to make. Cooking for one means stocking your freezer with lots of tasty soups, stews, chilis, pastas, sauces, etc. Because there is nothing better than a big pot of soup cooking on your stove promising you meals in days to come. And come on, we are all busy here. Cook once, serve 5 times. If that's not a saying it should be. I promise come springtime when fresh vegetables are aplenty, there will be more singular sensations and I might even hop back on the vegetarian bandwagon... so look out Spring! Here I come.
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