Sausage and Veggie Stew

This is a very filling meal for cold nights, or just any night you want it. It's a good serving of veggies, too. I found a similar recipe online, and tweaked it to our tastes.  Serves four, possibly more if you serve it with French bread.  Yum!

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage, thickly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 can chicken broth (low sodium if you can get it)
1/2 cup water, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can Great Northern beans (or white beans)
1 cup small shell pasta, uncooked

Directions:
1. Cook sausage with the olive oil in a large sauce pan until browned.  Add onion, carrots and garlic, cook another 5 minutes.
2.  Add tomatoes, basil, cabbage, chicken broth, water and black pepper, bring to a boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.
3.  Add beans and pasta, simmer another 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked.  Ladle the stew into bowls and serve.