Lasagna Soup
With its sheets of wavy pasta, dollops of Parmesan-enriched ricotta cheese, and chunks of golden brown Italian sausage, Lasagna Soup laughs in the face of basic noodle soup. Yeah, it's pretty hard to compete with a steaming bowl of soup that contains all the best parts of classic baked lasagna. (Okay, who are we kidding, a traditional baked lasagna is pretty great.) Serve a pot of Lasagna Soup with a bottle of red wine, garlic bread, and a peppery arugula salad.
To make Lasagna Soup, you'll start by sautéing sweet Italian sausage in oil, which concentrates the flavor of the meat. Then, you'll cook fennel and onion until soft, which infuses every bite of soup with rich vegetal flavor. (Plus, they bring a bit of balance to this decadent meal.) Then you'll create a tomatoey broth to cook the noodles in and finally top it all off with a mixture of ricotta and Parmesan. For a vegetarian version, substitute plant-based meat or skip it entirely.
Italian seasoning is a handy shortcut mixture that usually contains basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, and marjoram. If you'd rather use what you have in your spice cabinet, use ¼ teaspoon each basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.
extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
large bulb fennel (10 oz.), cored and chopped
medium yellow onion (8 oz.), chopped
tomato paste
Italian seasoning
(28-oz.) can pureed tomatoes
low-sodium chicken broth
water
Parmesan rind
wavy lasagna sheets (about 7), broken in quarters
ricotta
(2 oz.) freshly grated Parmesan
Fresh basil leaves, for serving
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until cooked and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to paper towel-lined plate; reserve 2 tablespoons fat in pot and discard rest.
- Reduce heat to medium. To same pot, add fennel, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and Italian seasoning; cook until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pureed tomatoes, broth, water, Parmesan rind, and reserved sausage and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer, covered, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Add noodles and continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring a few times, until noodles are al dente, 12 to 14 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, combine ricotta, grated Parmesan, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese mixture, dividing evenly, a drizzle of olive oil, and basil leaves.
