Pasta Fagioli--the Cooking Light Way

This past week, I tried a Pasta Fagioli recipe from Cooking Light.  I read some of the reviews of this recipe and some of them were a little critical stating that the recipe wasn't a true Pasta Fagioli.  Honestly, I am not that picky and am just looking for easy, healthy recipes for my family, so I gave it a try.



The recipe itself was really easy--which made me happy.  As for the flavor, on the first day, it was good--just nothing to shout from the rooftop about.  The flavor was definitely a lot better and more blended on the second day.  I think this is just one of those soups that takes a little time to come together.

Here is the recipe with my little changes:

Ingredients:

6 ounces garlic chicken sausage (from Trader Joe's) 
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water  
1/2 cup uncooked whole grain pasta (recipe called for seashell, I used some remnants we had) 
2 cups coarsely chopped zucchini (about 2 small zucchini) 
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained 
2 teaspoons dried basil 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup spinach
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add sausage; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth, water and pasta; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes. Add zucchini and 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 and zucchini are tender. Add spinach and simmer a couple of minutes longer until spinach is cooked. Sprinkle with cheese.

Voila!