It’s the middle of October, and just the time when Fall seems to peek it’s seasonal head around the corner. And a little snap of cold in the morning is enough to make me think about making a big pot of soup! The other day I tried this recipe and it was amazing. I used spicy italian sausage instead of mild and the heat was perfect. The balance of meat, tomatoes, spice, and pasta weighs in more like a stoup, ala Rachel Ray. I left the dollop of cheese in the bottom and topped it with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese, then ladled the soup on top — I like the little creamy bit of surprise on the end of my spoon. My husband Tom stirred it all in together and made one big mess in the bowl. Whatever.
Spicy Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 small can (8-oz) tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 8 ounces spiral pasta, cooked separately
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Ricotta mixture
- 8 ounces ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (a pinch of salt, depending on how salty your cheese is)
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with the back of a spoon until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring another 3-4 minutes or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.
- Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves, add cooked pasta and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
- To serve, place a dollop of ricotta cheese mixture in each soup bowl; ladle the hot soup over the cheese. Serve hot.
Everything Succulent 