Italian Sausage Bean soup and breadsticks

The soup was really tasty - the breadsticks were yucky.  I guess when you have a breadstick recipe you love you should never try a different one.

Italian Sausage Bean Soup

1 1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes - undrained (I used crushed)
1 T Italian seasoning
3 cans (14 1/2 oz each) beef broth
1 can kidney beans - rinsed and drained
1 can great northern beans - rinsed and drained
1/2 C water
1/2 C additional beef broth
1/3 C uncooked elbow macaroni
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 t salt

Crumble sausage in a pot.  Cook until no longer pink, drain.  Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.  Cook and stir for 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes and Italian seasoning, cook 10 minutes longer.

Add the broth, beans, water, additional broth, macaroni, tomato sauce and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cook, uncovered, until macaroni is tender, about 10 minutes.  Serve with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese.  Makes 16 servings.