Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Soup

This is from MelsKitchenCafe. The combo sounds weird but is so good! And it's easy. It took me about 40 minutes from start to finish the first time I made it.
 

1 lb sweet italian chicken sausage (can use turkey or pork sausage also, just drain off excess fat after cooking)

1/2 c chopped carrots

1/2 c chopped yellow onion or leeks (I used onion successfully)

3 cloves minced garlic

6 c low sodium chicken broth

2 (14.5 oz )cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can great northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 TBSP dried basil

1 tsp salt (omit if not using low sodium broth)

1/2 tsp pepper

 1 1/2 c uncooked pasta (i used small shell)

9 oz loose spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese

In a large pot cook the sausage over medium heat (Remove casings if possible) until browned, 3-4 minutes, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. *I could not get mine to break so i just pulled it out and chopped it* If your sausage is really lean, add 1 tsp oil so it doesn't stick to the pan. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and continue to cook, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through, 5-10 minutes. At this point, drain the grease if there is any. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, basil, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the pasta and reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta isn't sticking. Stir in the spinach and simmer for another minute until the spinach is wilted. Sprinkle individual bowls with parmesan and serve.