Lasagna Soup

We had this tonight for dinner.  It was SO good.  It was a hit and I'll be making this again soon! I swear it was like lasagna in a bowl. And that can't be bad!

Servings: 8

Ingredients: (For the soup)

• 1 pound Italian sausage(I used rabbit ;) )
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (we used San Marzano)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 8 ounces pasta (used a small pasta, but it's your choice)
• 2 Tablespoons basil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the cheese topping:

• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

• In a large pot, brown sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook sausage for about 5 minutes.
• Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. 
• Add garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and basil, cook for an additional minute. 
• Add the tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for about 3 more minutes.
• Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock; stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

• Next, add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not overcook or continue to simmer at this point because the pasta will become mushy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture which you’ll put on top of the soup when serving. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, and mozzarella cheese; set aside.

• To serve, pour the soup into bowls and add a handful of the cheese mixture to each bowl.  

• Mixing the ricotta and mozzarella cheese into the soup gives it a lasagna like taste that is so comforting! This is a perfect comfort food soup without too many calories!

Source: adapted from Live Love Pasta