Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Turkey Sausage Soup

One of my favorite soups from the hospital cafeteria across from my lab is Tomato Florentine. It's a basic tomato soup with spinach and pasta shells. I was reminded of this soup when I saw Jenny's recipe for Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Sausage Soup. I loved that this recipe comes together in just 10 minutes! Of course my version takes a bit longer since I had to complicate it by adding some pasta and spinach, but it's still a super quick recipe, and it's delicious!
Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Turkey Sausage Soup

Ingredients:
3 sweet Italian turkey links, casing removed
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (or 1-2 teaspoons purchased basil puree)
1 26-ounce jar of pasta sauce
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half
1 cup small whole wheat pasta (such as macaroni)
6 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions:
1. Boil a small pot of water. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat a medium-sized dutch oven over medium heat. Brown sausage, breaking it into bite-sized pieces, or smaller. Drain grease (or use paper towels to squeeze out grease), if desired.

3. Stir in pasta sauce, basil leaves or puree, water, and half-and-half. Cook until warm then reduce heat to low.

4. Add cooked pasta and season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the fresh spinach and simmer until wilted. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Source: Adapted from Picky Palate