Lasagna Soup
Sautéing the tomato paste with the sausage and aromatics until it darkens is the key to this soup’s deep, savory flavor – it caramelizes the sugars in the paste, adding a richness that mimics a long-simmered sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 uncooked lasagna sheets, broken into small pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 1/4 cups mirepoix (finely diced onion, celery, and carrots)
- Salt and pepper
- ~3/4 lb ground Italian sausage
- 2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp fennel seed, crushed
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
- Mascarpone or ricotta cheese, for topping
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
- Fresh basil leaves, for topping
Sauté the Base
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mirepoix, season with salt and pepper, and cook for ~4 minutes until it begins to soften. Push the vegetables to the side, add the sausage, and cook until it’s deeply browned and caramelized, breaking it up with a spoon.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed fennel seed, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for ~3-5 minutes, until the paste darkens slightly.
Build and Simmer the Soup
Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and vegetable mixture and cook for ~1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually pour in the chicken stock, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the bay leaf, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for ~15 minutes.
Cook the Pasta and Finish the Soup
While the soup simmers, bring a separate large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the broken lasagna pieces according to package directions. Drain the pasta, rinse it under cold water, and toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
Stir the heavy cream into the soup and bring it to a low simmer until it thickens slightly. Add the spinach and cook for ~1-2 minutes until it has wilted. Remove the bay leaf.
To serve, place some of the cooked pasta in each bowl and ladle the soup over the top. Garnish with a scoop of mascarpone, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and fresh basil.
Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 8 uncooked lasagna sheets broken into small pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 2 1/4 cups mirepoix finely diced onion, celery, and carrots
- Salt and pepper
- ~3/4 lb ground Italian sausage
- 2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp fennel seed crushed
- 1 bay leaf optional
- 1 can tomato paste 6-oz
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups baby spinach coarsely chopped
- Mascarpone or ricotta cheese for topping
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping
- Fresh basil leaves for topping
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mirepoix, salt and pepper; cook 4 minutes.
- Push vegetables aside, add sausage and brown until caramelized, breaking up meat.
- Add garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel seed, and tomato paste. Cook 3-5 minutes until paste darkens.
- Sprinkle flour over mixture, cook 1 minute.
- Gradually stir in chicken stock, add bay leaf. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook broken lasagna pieces in salted water. Drain, rinse, toss with 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Stir in cream, simmer until slightly thickened.
- Add spinach, cook 1-2 minutes until wilted. Remove bay leaf.
- Place pasta in bowls, ladle soup over top. Top with mascarpone, Parmesan and basil.
