Lasagna Soup

I came across this recipe awhile ago over at A Farm Girls Dabbles and had been trying to find the time to make it ever since.  With all the all the other soups I am constantly making, this recipe sat on the back burner.  I finally made it last week and we loved it so much I made it again yesterday!

So here is the recipe adapted from A Farm Girls Dabbles.  All of her recipes look so great I'd like to find the time to try them all.

Lasagna Soup
(printable recipe)

2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef or hot 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 (I only had plain diced tomatoes)
2 bay leaves
6 c. low sodium beef broth
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cheese Topping ( I did not use the cheese topping)

8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ground beef or 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 beef broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. The pasta will absorb the broth as it sits, for this I just added more beef broth to reheat. 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 cheese topping. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
To serve, place a dollop of the cheese topping in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.
Servings: 8

The leftovers froze well also.

Source: adapted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, as seen in the February-April 2011 edition of At Home with Kowalski’s magazine