Recipe: Italian Sausage And Bean Soup With Pasta

Quick, easy, simple, and delicious, this recipe is the essence of Italian cooking! It's great for a cold winter night, and easy to tailor to your own tastes - try different pasta shapes, different kinds of beans, add different herbs, etc. to make it your own. Use fresh (or frozen) ripe tomatoes for a fresher, lighter taste. 

Sausage And Bean Soup With Pasta
Ingredients:

1 pound fresh Italian sausage
1 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
28 ounces diced tomatoes (or 4 large fresh tomatoes, diced)
1 cup pasta (shells, penne, ziti, or other sturdy pasta)
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 4 cups fresh or frozen chicken broth or stock)
3 1/2 cups water, hot
18 ounces kidney beans or white beans, cooked (or canned) & drained
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

• Brown the sausage and onion in the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes. 
• Once the sausage and onion have been browned, add the tomatoes with their juice, the pasta, bouillon cubes or broth, and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, then add the beans. 
• Make sure soup is just simmering, then cover pot, and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or just until the pasta is al dente.
• Serve hot in bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese if desired.