Lasagna Soup

Say hello to your new favorite soup recipe–lasagna in a bowl! This recipe takes all the elements of traditional lasagna and transforms them into an easy and delicious soup. I used elbow pasta for the noodles along with hot Italian sausage and fire roasted diced tomatoes for added savoriness. I couldn’t believe how easy this was to throw together! A mixture of ricotta, parmesan and romano are added to the top which is the pièce de résistance of each bowl! Since it doesn’t take long to put together it makes a great weeknight meal.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces elbow pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage, casing removed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 handful basil, loosely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces Ricotta
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated (optional)
• sea salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the Ricotta, Parmesan, Romano, sea salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pot over medium high heat. Add the Italian sausage to the pot and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
3. Add garlic, onion, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook on medium low heat until onions have become translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until well combined, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in chicken stock, diced tomatoes and bay leaves.
5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and add to the pot during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
7. Serve immediately with a dollop of Ricotta and garnish with the shredded mozzarella and basil.