Pasta Fagioli

Traditional Fagioli Soup is made with white beans but this is a quick, easy, and absolutely fabulous soup. If you make your own salt free chicken broth you will lower the salt/sodium content of the soup. And, DO NOT, substitute the Asiago cheese. This cheese absolutely MAKES this soup. I do not recommend anything else.

Ingredients
12 ounces Santa Fe chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced (such as Amy's)
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (this can be increased for more broth)
1/2 cup uncooked small seashell pasta
2 cups coarsely chopped zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, un-drained
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese

Instructions:
Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add sausage; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add broth and pasta; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes.
Stir in basil, oregano, and beans; cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Add the zucchini; simmer for 3 more minutes or until zucchini is barely tender.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups soup and about 1 tablespoon asiago cheese)

NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 319(26% from fat); FAT 9.2g (sat 3.3g,mono 3.8g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 21.9g; CHOLESTEROL 56mg; CALCIUM 56mg; SODIUM 858mg; FIBER 9.6g; IRON 4.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39.7g

Notes:
When I initially made this soup I could not find the Santa Fe Chicken Sausage. Don't panic, because you can use a mild or spicy Italian Bratwurst instead. Here's what you do. First of all place the Bratwurst in a pan with enough water to cover it. Bring the pan to a boil and cook approximately 15 minutes, until the Brats are thoroughly cooked. Place the pan under cold running water. This will cool it and run off excess fat. Peel the "skin" off the Bratwurst. Slice in half, then in quarters, slice into little pieces and place in a non-stick fry pan and pan fry the cut Bratwurst until lightly brown. This will also cook off any additional oil/fat. Follow the recipe from above and you have a EASY quick homemade soup that your family will enjoy.

Feel free to add the cheese into your individual bowls. This will allow each person to add their own amount to their own preference and make it personal. Serve with a nice loaf of Italian or French bread. Finally, just double the recipe to make enough for more than 4 people. Another GREAT recipe from "Cooking Light".