Tomato Basil and Italian Sausage Soup

This soup literally takes 10 minutes to make, and it's SO delicious!! I really recommend trying it. The boyf and I also cooked pasta separately and mixed it in with the soup to make it more hearty. And it was very filling! I adapted the recipe a little from Picky Palate. 
Taste: SO FREAKING GOOD. I love this soup. 
Texture: Really hearty, and perfect for a winter week-night.
Would I make this again?: YES, I have made it at least 3 other times and crave it most days. I prefer to use Spicy Breakfast sausage, because I don't really like the fennel in Italian Sausage. And the spicy flavor gives it a great kick. It's SO easy to grab the ingredients on the way home from work and it's done in 10 minutes. 

Tomato Basil and Italian Sausage Soup

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb Italian Sausage
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (stacked, rolled and thinly sliced)
1 26 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce or homemade sauce
1 Cup water
1 1/2 Cups half and half  ** We substituted chicken broth
Pinch of salt and pepper

Pasta of your choice (optional) We used Farfalline (baby bow-ties!)

1. Place olive oil into a medium sized dutch oven over medium heat. Cook sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil leaves, pasta sauce, water, half and half, salt and pepper. Cook until warm then reduce heat to low. Simmer until ready to serve. It’s that easy! Cook pasta of your choice according to directions and mix into bowls of soup! Enjoy!