Lasagna Soup

By kimmie12

Ingredients

• for the soup:
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
• 3 cups chopped onions (recipe calls for this amount; I think that's way to much so I only put 1 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper; to taste
• for the cheesy yum:
• 8 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bit sized pieces and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dete. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately and then adding soem to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.