Lasagna Soup

Sophie and I have a problem. The kind of problem that I feel like I should change, but it actually kind of works for us.

Each afternoon when Sophie gets up from her nap, she always wants to watch Mickey Mouse. The girl is hooked on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse lately, the Choo Choo Express episode. I've already seen it four times this week. She wants to immediately go straight to my bed with her entourage of drinks (she insists on juice, milk AND water) to watch an episode of Mickey. Since she usually wakes up from her nap anytime between 4 and 5pm, this is the perfect time for me to let her zone out and start figuring out dinner.

The problem is, I feel guilty! I don't want to create a tv-watching monster! For now though, I let it slide so I can make delicious dinners like this lasagna soup. I love hearty soups for dinner now that it its dark and cold outside. I wish I could share some sweet pictures of Sophie and I making soup together but instead, this is what she was doing. She only called out for me when she needed more snacks in her bowl.

Lasagna Soup

(From A Farm Girl's Dabbles)

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the soup:
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
• 3 c. 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 c. chicken stock
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
additional cheesy yum:
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized 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 bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

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