The whole point of this soup is to feel like you’re eating lasagna, from the flavors to the rich, cheesy goodness.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1.5 pounds of Italian sausage
- 3 medium onions, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 8 ounces of fusilli pasta (or any pasta you like)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped basil leaves
- salt and pepper
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- pinch salt and pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown about five minutes, breaking into bite sized pieces.
- Add onions and cook until translucent, about six minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook for one minute. Add tomato paste and incorporate well, cooking 3-4 minutes until the paste turns a deep rusty red.
- Add the diced tomato and bay leaves, then the chicken stock. Stir. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- At this point, you can add the pasta and continue cooking until al dente – we opted to cook the pasta separately so that it didn’t overcook when we reheated leftovers!
- While the soup is simmering, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- To serve, place a small spoonful of the ricotta mix at the bottom of each bowl, then sprinkle with mozzarella. Ladle soup over the cheeses and garnish with fresh basil.
I think the only thing I’ll do differently next time is to add a bunch of fresh sliced mushrooms, and maybe keep the sausage in bigger pieces. While the soup was really good and flavorful, we both really like hearty soups and this seemed a bit thin and basic. Other than that, we’ll definitely be making it again!
