Orecchiette, Sausage & White Bean Soup1 Tbs. Olive Oil
~1/4 lb. fresh, Italian Sausage, cut into slices on the bias
2 medium red onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Fire-Roasted, diced tomatoes w/ their juices
1 can (15.5 oz) white beans
few sprigs of each Rosemary, Thyme & Parsley
2 qt. Chicken Stock or broth
~2 c. dry Orecchiette Pasta
Black Pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Balsamic Vinegar
Heat olive oil in a large pot and add your sliced sausage (hint...fresh sausage is easier to slice if it is slightly frozen...stick it in the freezer for an hour or 2 before you're ready to slice). Brown the sausage well on both sides. Add chopped red onion and cook, stirring occasionally for a couple of minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute or so. Pour in the can of tomatoes.
Let the mixture cook down for a few minutes, until slightly thickened. Add beans (I use the liquid, too), herbs and stock. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
Measure out the orecchiette (or other small pasta of your choosing).
Once soup has simmered for 10 minutes or so, add in the pasta. Cook ~10 minutes more or until pasta is just al dente. Remember, pasta drinks up your liquid, so you may want to have a bit extra stock, or even just water, on hand. Season with black pepper. You probably will not need soup because of your sausage and stock/broth. But taste it just to make sure and add some if you think it needs it. Ladle into serving bowls and crack a little more fresh black pepper on top. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley. Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar on and grate some Parmesan over the top. 
Dip in spoon, lift to mouth, commence warming.
I am sending this bowl of comfort over to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper (soup, salad, sammie) Sundays and to Joanne of Eats Well with Others who is hosting Presto Pasta Nights #134 this week! 
I also want to give a big thanks to Diana from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa for giving me this Tasty! award. Thanks so much Diana....you are super-tasty yourself. If you don't know Diana, go check out her fabulous, locavore blog...you won't be disappointed!
I was also given the Kreativ Blogger award by Bella from Wanderings of a Wondering Mind...thank you so much for thinking of me, Bella!! Since I've posted some tidbits about myself fairly recently, I won't put you through it again, but if you didn't see them before and want to know some more about me...click HERE.
