Italian Sausage Soup

I had plans to do this post on father's day.... but I have lots of plans that get don't get done when I want them to get done. Fortunately I usually do find time eventually to to accomplish these small tasks.
In the Wells Family Cookbook, that my mom put together several years ago, there is a section called Signature recipes. This is what she has to say about my Dad's New Hobby:
"I guess with a lot of time on his hands, he's discovered the Gabby Gourmet on Channel 2 News at noon and taken up trying some of the recipes. I will include his favorites and family favorites. It's always fun when it's Dad's night to cook. he's always got some interesting new flavors for us to try."
This was in my dad's later years that he started cooking. I remember distinctly him finding a recipe on-line printing it out and sending Traci and I to the store for ingredients we had never heard of before. It was a lot of fun to cook with him. He always involved the two of us. I only remember one recipe that failed. It was some chicken pesto that was pretty nasty and I am pretty sure we chucked it and went out for hamburgers after.
There are other recipes that we cooked that I may feature later, but the following is my favorite that I cook very often.
Italian sausage soup. I keep the ingredients for this one stocked in my pantry at all times. It is so easy and so packed with flavor, I love to make it for guests when time is short. I will put the recipe as written in the cookbook, but it is not how I always make it. I have a shortened easy version that is ever bit as good.

Italian Sausage Soup

1 lb of Mild Italian Sausage (I like hot)
1 onion chopped fine
1 28 oz can Italian style stewed tomatoes
2 cans of low sodium beef broth
1 can water
1 c. pasta, uncooked (we have always used penne)
1/2 tsp. basil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c. broccoli flowerettes
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. slice or crumble sausage and brown, drain excess fat.
2. add onion garlic and saute until onions are trasparent.
3. add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
4. reduce heat cover adn simmer for 10 -15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve hot with warm crusty bread.

Adapted version: Italian Sausage Soup (how I make it today)

1 lb Italian Sausage
1/2 onion chopped (if I have it, if not it's fine with out)
2 cans italian stewed tomatoes (don't drain off the liquid)
2 cans beef broth
2 heads of broccoli (cut off the flowerettes and dispose of the stem)
1 1/2 c. penne uncooked pasta
water if needed

1. brown sausage with onion, pour in other ingredients and simmer until soft. (I don't like to drain the meat because the grease has a lot of great flavor and there isn't usually a ton of excess grease anyway) It is a crowd pleaser, so try it the next time you have company and not a lot of time.