- 8
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- ; Serves 8
- For the soup:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, mix of hot and sweet
- 2 white onions, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 32-ounce packages chicken stock (about 8 cups)
- 8 ounces fusilli pasta
- 1/2 cup, fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- For the cheesy payload:
- 8 ounces ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Preparation
Step 1
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage (removing from casing, if in links) and break into bite-sized pieces. Brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about a minute, then add tomato paste, and stir well to incorporate. Cook until tomato paste begins to brown, about 3 or 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes, dried bay leaves, and chicken stock, and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, about 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta directly to soup and cook until al dente, about a minute less than package directions (remember that pasta will continue to cook a bit in the soup after you remove it from heat). Don’t let the soup continue to simmer or cook, or the pasta will become overcooked. Stir in fresh basil, and adjust salt and pepper, to taste.
(For The Cheesy Payload)
In a bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Scoop a dollop (a big, rounded soup spoonful) of the cheesy payload into an empty soup bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of shredded mozzarella. Ladle hot soup over ricotta mixture, and finish with another light sprinkle of mozzarella, as well as some more chopped basil, to garnish. Serve immediately.