LASAGNA SOUP
This is another New York Times recipe. A quick way to have a lasagna alternative that tastes delicious. There are a lot of ingredients, but it's easy to make!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
½ lb ground beef
½ lb bulk sweet Italian sausage (or remove casings from sausages if you can't find it as a ground mixture)
One teaspoon of dried oregano
½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (24-ounce) jar of marinara sauce
8 ounces of dried lasagna noodles, broken crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 and ½ cups (or 12 ounces) of whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup of heavy cream
½ cup torn fresh basil leaves
Prep
In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until translucent but don't brown. (about 4 - 6 minutes)
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. (about a minute)
Add the beef, sausage, oregano, nutmeg, crushed red pepper, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon until browned. About 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook an additional minute, stirring often
Add the chicken broth and marinara sauce. Bring to a boll under medium-high heat, then add the lasagna noodles.
Reduce the heat to medium low then simmer until the lasagna noodles soften, about 15 - 20 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally.
While the soup is simmering, mix the ricotta and parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix well.
Once the noodles have cooked, take off the heat and add the heavy cream and basil. Taste and add more salt or crushed pepper to desired taste.
Serve in bowls with a large dollop of the ricotta mixture.