1 (15-ounce) canGreat Northern or Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½tablespoondried basil
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonpepper
1 ½cupsuncooked shell pasta
9ouncesspinach leaves, coarsely chopped
½cupshredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
In a large pot, cook the sausage over medium heat (remove the sausage from the casings, if needed) until browned, 3-4 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. If your sausage is really lean, you may need to use a teaspoon or so of oil so it doesn't stick to the pan.
Add the carrots, onion, and garlic, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through, 5-10 minutes. At this point, if there is excess grease, drain it before proceeding.
Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, basil, salt and pepper.
Bring the soup to a boil. Add the shell pasta, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta isn't sticking.
Stir in the spinach and simmer for another minute until the spinach is wilted. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Sausage: I prefer chicken or turkey sausage because it is lean; however, you could easily sub Italian sausage of another variety like pork just be sure to drain off the excess grease before adding the broth. Broth: also, if you are not using low-sodium chicken broth, I would suggest decreasing the 1 teaspoon salt and adding to taste so the soup isn't overly salty.