Lasagna Soup

For the soup:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage to the pan and break it up using a wooden spoon. Sauté the sausage until it starts to brown. Add the chopped onion and green pepper to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes to the pan and sauté until all of the veggies have softened. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, garlic salt, and chicken broth to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the uncooked pasta and cook until al dente (according to package instructions for al dente). You don’t want to overcook the pasta because it could get too mushy.

Meanwhile, make your cheesy mixture by combining the ricotta, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Right before serving it, add the fresh spinach to the soup. Stir until spinach is just wilted. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy mixture in the bottom of the soup bowl, top with the hot soup. Sprinkle on a few pieces of basil and a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Adapted by Lindsay at Perfecting the Pairing from Farmgirl Dabbles.