Ingredients (~9 servings)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed (can omit if using fennel sausage)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed plum tomatoes
- 7 cups low-sodium beef stock (plus more to thin if needed)
- 1 rind Parmigiano Reggiano
- 3/4 pound lasagna sheets or mafaldine, broken into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup minced flat leaf Italian parsley
- 1/3 cup packed basil leaves, chopped
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese for serving
Brown the Meat
Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the sausage and ground chuck; cook until deeply browned while breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, ~8-10 minutes.
Don’t rush this step – you want good browning for flavor. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
Build the Aromatics
Add the onion, fennel seeds (if using), and a pinch of salt to the pot. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, ~7-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant, then add the red pepper flakes.
The fennel seeds will become fragrant as they heat up; this adds another layer of Italian sausage flavor.
Deglaze and Simmer
Add the browned meat back to the pot and mix to combine. Pour in the red wine and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook until the wine evaporates, ~3-5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits.
Those browned bits are flavor gold – make sure to scrape them up completely.
Add Tomatoes and Stock
Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, and the parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. The parmesan rind will slowly dissolve and add depth to the broth.
Cook the Pasta and Finish
Add the broken pasta pieces and cook until al dente according to package directions, ~10-12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and fish out the parmesan rind if any large pieces remain.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the parsley, basil, and 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan. The residual heat will melt the cheese into the soup.
Serve
Ladle into bowls and top each serving with a dollop of ricotta, the remaining grated parmesan, and serve with crusty bread. The ricotta mimics the creamy layer you’d get in traditional lasagna.
Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
~9 servings
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed can omit if using fennel sausage
- 1 large onion diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 can crushed plum tomatoes 28-ounce
- 7 cups low-sodium beef stock plus more to thin if needed
- 1 rind Parmigiano Reggiano
- 3/4 pound lasagna sheets or mafaldine broken into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup minced flat leaf Italian parsley
- 1/3 cup packed basil leaves chopped
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese divided
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large pot and brown sausage and ground chuck for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove meat, leaving fat in pot. Add onion, fennel seeds, and salt; cook 7-10 minutes.
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook 2 minutes.
- Return meat to pot, add wine, and deglaze for 3-5 minutes.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, beef stock, and parmesan rind. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Add broken pasta, cook 10-12 minutes until al dente.
- Remove from heat, discard parmesan rind.
- Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley, basil, and 1/2 cup parmesan.
- Serve with ricotta, remaining parmesan, and crusty bread.
