This is our absolute favorite, best-ever LasagnaSoup! We start with a creamy tomato base loaded up with veggies and seasoned Italian sausage. Pour the soup over lasagna noodles and top with a scoop of cheese--delish!
PASTA: Break lasagna into small pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 tsp fine sea salt and then the broken lasagna pieces. Cook according to package directions. Drain but do not rinse in water; toss with 1 tbsp olive oil. Set aside.
VEGGIES: Meanwhile, In a very large, heavy-bottomed pot set heat to medium-high, add remaining 1 tbsp oil. Once hot, add in mirepoix. Season to taste (I add 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper) and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Press veggies to edges of pan and add sausage in the center. Let sear, then break and crumble until browned. (If there is more than 1-2 tbsp grease, drain off excess.)
TOMATOPASTE: Once sausage is browned, add garlic, spices, and tomato paste. Sauté, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and tomato paste begins to darken, about 3-5 minutes. (It's really dry, but this is adding loads of flavor!)
FLOUR AND CHICKEN BROTH: Sprinkle flour on top and mix through. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. While stirring constantly, gradually pour in the chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the pan really well and continue to pour in chicken stock until all is added. Add bay leaves. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, and once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer (uncovered) for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, taking time to scrape the bottom of the pot well to keep it from catching.
FINISHSOUP: Add the cream, and bring it to a low simmer until nicely thickened. Add in spinach and stir just to wilt--another 1-2 minutes.
SERVE: Add a handful of cooked pasta to each individual bowl. Spoon the soup right on top and stir together. Top each bowl with a big scoop of mascarpone cheese. Use a microplane to grate Parmesan cheese on top of everything and if desired, garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
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Notes
Note 1: Sausage: We're using fresh, not smoked Italian sausage in this recipe. For more heat (and flavor), use spicysausage, and if you’re sensitive to spice use a mild or sweetsausage instead. If some of your guests want more spice and others don’t, use mild sausage and serve red pepper flakes on the side! The more marbled and colorful the sausage, the more flavor it will contribute to this soup. If using sausage in casings, don't forget to remove those casings before browning. Depending on the sausage used, you may be left with a little or a lot of grease. If there is more than 1-2 tablespoons, drain off the grease and/or dab the sausage in the pot with some paper towel before continuing with the recipe. Note 2: Fennel: I take this fennel seed and then crush it in a coffee/spice grinder to a fine powder. A mortar and pestle can also crush down the seeds, or add them to a bag and crush with the bottom of a frying pan or rolling pin!Note 3: Cheeses: We're obsessed with mascarpone cheese in this soup, but you can use ricotta instead of desired. For the Parmesan, use a block of cheese and finely grate on the small sides of a grater or microplane right on top of the bowls of soup.