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Lasagna Soup with Ricotta Cream

Source of Recipe

From "Once Upon A Chef: Weeknight/Weekend" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"Lasagna soup may sound gimmicky, but this really does taste like lasagna. The good news is that it's a whole lot easier to make. This isn't a soup in the traditional 'light dinner' sense—it's almost as hearty as lasagna itself. I use reginetti noodles, which are like miniature ruffled lasagna noodles, but any short pasta shape will work; just avoid actual lasagna noodles, as they are a bit unwieldy to eat in soup. Serve with a warm baguette to soak up the broth."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 ounces short pasta, such as reginetti, shells, or macaroni (about 2 heaping cups)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 1 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
â—¦ 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
â—¦ 4 cups chicken broth
â—¦ 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
â—¦ 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, plus a pinch
â—¦ 1 teaspoon sugar
â—¦ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
â—¦ 1 bay leaf
â—¦ ¾ cup heavy cream
â—¦ ½ cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
â—¦ 1 cup whole-milk ricotta, at room temperature


Recipe

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently and breaking it up, until browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a small colander set over a bowl, leaving the fat in the pan.

Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic to the pan, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Do not brown. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, sugar, oregano, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer vigorously, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the cream and cook for a few minutes more. Discard the bay leaf, then use a large spoon to skim off any excess grease. Add the reserved sausage, drained pasta, ¼ cup of the pecorino Romano, and the basil to the pan. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

In a small bowl, stir the ricotta with the remaining ¼ cup pecorino Romano and a generous pinch of salt.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with a generous dollop of the ricotta mixture and more basil. Pass more grated pecorino Romano at the table.

Serves 4 to 6