Brown sausage and onion with basil and garlic in a skillet. Drain and pour into crock pot. Add all other ingredients except the pasta. Cook on low for seven to eight hours or high for 4 or 5 hours. About an hour before soup finishes cooking, add pasta. This could be made on top of the stove as well. Just cook in large pot until beans are tender. Then add pasta or shells about the last 20 minutes. Serve with my cornbread muffins, quick peppery cheese bread, or sourdough bread. Makes about 3 quarts of soup. Enjoy!