Lasagna Soup

First of all, I have to give the credit to Jessie for linking to this recipe on her blog. Otherwise, I probably never would have discovered this soup, and I would have missed out on all the deliciousness. So thank you, Jessie, for sharing this!

This soup is nothing short of amazing. What a way to celebrate my 100th post! It really does taste a lot like lasagna, and it was so much quicker and so much less fussy to make. The whole time we were eating, the only thing Joe and I kept saying back and forth was, "This is really good. This is so good." The idea of putting the ricotta mixture and cheese at the bottom of the bowl and stirring it into the soup was absolutely genius. I mean, just look at all that creamy goodness waiting to be scooped up!

I modified the recipe quite a lot, to make fewer servings (which, after tasting this, I realized was a mistake; I wish I had leftovers today) and also to accommodate the ingredients we had on hand, and I've listed it below as I made it. Clicking the link will take you to the original recipe. This soup was sweet and spicy and creamy and comforting and just...yummy. It is now officially a family favorite. I suggest trying it right away!

Lasagna Soup
Source: adapted from Family Fun

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound spicy sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup tomato basil spaghetti sauce
1 bay leaf
4 ounces rotini pasta
4 ounces ricotta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the spaghetti sauce, the broth, and the bay leaf and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaf. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top.