Lasagna Soup

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Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. Italian Sausage

3 cups chopped onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

 (eliminate pepper flakes if you use hot Italian Sausage)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28 oz.) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

6 cups chicken stock

8 ounces malfada, fusilli or similar pasta

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cheese Topping

8 ounces ricotta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add sausage, breaking up into bite 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.  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 dente.

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 coking the noodles separately, and then adding some 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 pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt and pepper.  To serve, place a dollop of the cheese mixture in each soup bowl and sprinkle wome of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

History:

Jason Fleck introduced me to this recipe that he found on the internet.