1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing
1 large onion, cut into small chunks
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper (red or orange) chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes and their juice
1 cup uncooked small pasta, such as ditalini or tubettini
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup loosely packed, coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Coarse-grained salt and cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese for garnish
Place sausage in a large soup pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain fat. Add onion, fennel, bell pepper and garlic, and toss to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel and onion are soft, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add wine, chicken broth and tomatoes. Break tomatoes apart with a spoon. Bring to a boil. Add pasta, return to a boil and reduce heat to a strong simmer. Cook for 8 minutes, or until pasta is almost done.
Add cannellini beans and parsley, and cook until flavors have come together and pasta is cooked through. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top before serving. Serves 6.
Per serving: 357 calories; 14 g fat (5 g saturated fat; 35 percent calories from fat); 40 g carbohydrates; 38 mg cholesterol; 1,308 mg sodium; 22 g protein; 7 g fiber.
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