Lasagna Soup

Odd sounding name and truthfully if I had created it I would call it Hearty Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup. But it does remind me somewhat of a lasagna in terms of the layers of flavors. I used hot sausage for a little more flavor and no salt added tomato sauce and low sodium chicken broth. The pasta that it calls for, Mafalda, is like a small lasagna noodle with the ribbon edges. I could not find it in my store so substituted egg noodles as they are similar length and shape and do very well in soups (and probably a lot cheaper than if I had found Mafalda).

This one makes 8 cups and it was easy to cut in half. I actually prepared the recipe through sauteing the meat and veggies, divided that in half and then just used half the liquids and cheese to finish the recipe. Later in the week I took my reserved meat and veggie mixture and made the soup again from that point. The recipe is so hearty that if served with a salad 1 large bowl is enough; therefore, even with cutting the recipe in half I had leftovers. The leftovers heated up really well but it became thicker and more like an actual pasta dish versus a soup.

Lasagna Soup: Cuisine At Home Magazine

Ingredients:
1 lb Bulk Italian Sausage
2 cups Onions – chopped
1 cup Carrots – diced
2 cups Mushrooms – sliced
2 Tbsp Garlic – minced
4 cups Chicken Broth
14½ oz Can Italian-style Stewed Tomatoes – chopped
10¾ oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 cup Mafalda Pasta (never can find so use egg noodles)
2 cups Fresh Spinach – chopped
1 cup Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese – diced
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese – shredded
4 tsp Fresh Basil – thinly sliced

Directions:
Brown sausage in large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions and carrots and saute 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and garlic and saute another 3 minutes. Add broth, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add pasta and simmer till cooked about 10 minutes or according to package directions. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted. Place ¼ cup cheese into serving bowls and pour soup on top. Garnish with Parmesan and basil.