Lasagna Soup

Jen made this first with a friend and told me how much she liked it.  I knew I had to try it.

When I invited friends over for dinner the other day I thought this would be the soup to make.  I love making soup for company because I can make it in the morning or the night before and it still tastes delicious when it's reheated.  Perfect since I don't get home from work until close to 7 pm.

I confess, I had never made it before I served it to my guests, but luckily it turned out great!  I have a serious addiction to trying new recipes, even when I have company over.  Some call me brave for doing so.  I just say I'm a slave to my addiction for new food and flavors.  But really, this recipe seemed pretty safe!  All the ingredients are normal.  It's just lasagna in a bowl.  How could that go wrong?  And it didn't.  In fact, it went very, very well.  I'll be making this again.

(I forgot to take pictures of the soup all assembled, so you'll have to forgive only process photos for now.)

Lasagna Soup
Serves 6

Soup:
3/4 pound Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced Italian style tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound shell or other noodles, cooked and drained

Cheese topping:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

In a large pot, add the Italian sausage and cook over medium heat, breaking the pieces up with a wooden spoon or spatula while it cooks. After about 3-4 minutes, add the onion. Cook the sausage and onion together, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess grease, if desired.

Stir in the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, bay leaves and chicken broth. Add the basil, if using dried (if using fresh basil, add it in the next step).

Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and the fresh basil, if using.

For the cheese mixture, in a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and basil. Set aside.

To serve the soup, add a scoop of cooked pasta noodles to a bowl. Top with a ladle or two of soup and dollop with a generous spoonful of the cheese mixture.

Note: Do not cook the noodles in the soup or store them together.  According to Jen, the noodles get huge and weird.  It's worth it to keep them separate.  

Cheese Mixture

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I added more tomatoes and less broth, halved the meat and eliminated the sprinkling of mozzarella on top.