lasagna soup.

photo credit

Lasagna Soup from Shalee:
via: a farm girl dabbles

2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs Italian sausage
3 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 T 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
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper

Additional Cheesy Yum:

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite size 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 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 cooking 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 freshly ground black pepper.

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

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