Lasagna Soup

Photo from Elly Says Opa

This was super good.  I made it on a Saturday (except for the noodles) and then warmed it up after church when we had some friends over.  We really enjoyed it a lot, and the leftovers were even better the next few days.  The recipe was from a blog called Elly Says Opa.  (I read about it from another blog, but can't remember which.)


2 tsp. olive oil
1.5 lbs. Italian sausage, casings removed (I used turkey sausage, a combo of mild & hot)
2 medium onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 qt. chicken broth
2 cups beef broth

8 oz. dry mafalda, fusili, gemelli or other curly pasta

1/3 cup finely chopped basil

8 oz. ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add sausage, crumbling as you stir, and brown (about 3-5 minutes). Add onions and cook until softened. Stir in garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and the tomato paste starts to turn a little brown.

Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, chicken broth and beef broth; stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. (Alternatively, you can reduce the amount of broth by a little, and cook the noodles separately, adding them to individual bowls before serving.) Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.

While the pasta is cooking, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and pepper in a medium bowl.

To serve, place a large dollop of the cheese mixture in each soup bowl, and ladle the hot soup over the cheese mixture.