A few weeks ago when the weather was in the single digits (if you even consider zero a digit °®¶¹app“ brr!), I had a sudden hankering for soup.
Soup isn°®¶¹app™t something I often crave. One or two batches of Potato Leek Soup in the freezer are usually enough to last me through the fall and winter. There are already several servings of that in my freezer, so I thought I°®¶¹app™d try something different. A little poking around online and I was inspired to whip up something that combined soup with another of my usual homemade freezer staples: lasagna.
I wouldn°®¶¹app™t say this Lasagna Soup tastes exactly like the baked pasta dish (without a bubbling crust of melted cheese, would anything come close?), but it has enough of the flavors to satisfy you while warming you up on a chilly day.
The ricotta and Parmesan topping makes the soup creamy as it melts and is mixed in. It adds a nice salty element as well.
I used sweet Italian sausage in this soup, but you could use whatever variety you prefer. If using a plain ground meat such as beef or chicken, you might want to add Italian seasoning to the soup when you add the tomato paste.
Some recipes I found for Lasagna Soup call for lasagna noodles to be crushed up and boiled, but I had just enough mini penne in my pantry for one bowl of soup, so that°®¶¹app™s what I used. Any bite-size pasta you have on hand would work. You can use store-bought chicken stock, or make your own.
When making soup like this or chicken noodle, your best bet is to leave the pasta (or rice) out of the main pot when cooking unless you°®¶¹app™re going to eat the entire batch in one meal. Otherwise the pasta will get soggy and fall apart if you want to freeze and reheat leftovers.
Since I°®¶¹app™m cooking for one at my home, I cooked the pasta in a second pot. When I°®¶¹app™m ready to warm up the leftovers, I will make a fresh serving of pasta for the soup.
Lasagna Soup
Makes 4 servings.
For the soup:
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 cups chicken broth or stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and quickly rinsed
1/2 cup red wine (optional)
Pasta, cooked (about 1/2 cup for each serving being eaten immediately)
For the ricotta topping:
(Note: This makes enough for one serving. Multiply as needed.)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Make the soup: In a Dutch oven or soup pot, cook the sausage until crumbled and cooked through. Remove from pot and drain. Wipe excess grease from pot.
In the pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil, onion and garlic. Saute until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and stir for about 1 minute to darken. Stir in chicken broth or stock. Return sausage to the pot and add tomatoes. Stir in wine if using. Bring to low boil then reduce heat and simmer for at least 5 minutes.
Make the topping: In a small bowl, mix all ingredients to combine.
For each serving, add pasta to bowl and fill remainder with soup. Top with dollop of ricotta mixture.
Recipe Swap is published monthly in °®¶¹app. Corey McMaken is a home cook, not a food expert. To share a comment or favorite recipe for possible inclusion, email cmcmaken@jg.net or write to Corey McMaken, c/o °®¶¹app, 600 W. Main St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802.
