Italian Sausage soup

Okay, this is a weird thing to eat in the summer, but we are having it tonight and it is one of our favorites!!! It is from Cooking Light magazine and it is their staff favorite pick from a couple of years ago. It is so easy and my husband (who doesn't like spinach) loves this. My kids eat it really well also ( I cook extra sea shell noodles and add them to the kid's soup). So, if you don't want soup in the summer, save this till it gets cold, it is sooo worth it! We always double it, because it really serves about 2 people!

Ingredients

8 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano (I put mine in the food processor, because we don't like chunky tomatoes)
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves (stems removed, and we chop our leaves into strips)
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)

Preparation

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return to pan.

Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil)