Martina's Kitchen Mix-Lasagna Soup

by Cindi Sutter, Chief Communicator & Editor of Spirited Table® - Excerpted from Martina’s Kitchen Mix by Martina McBride. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from TI Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

My Southern excitement over sharing Martina’s McBride’s Southern recipes is well…just beyond Southern words. For those of you in the South, you might not understand that right now I’m looking at the largest piles of snow I’ve seen in a long time. So thus the yummy Lasagna Soup is our kick-off recipe post from Martina’s new Cookbook! For the next 3 months you will have a new recipe every Friday from Martina’s hits list. .

Photo by Antonis Achilleos

If you’re expecting a crowd, this is a fun, filling alternative to chili. It’s a yummy new addition to any Super Bowl party repertoire too. As a matter of fact, I made it for our annual Super Bowl party this year, and not only did it quickly disappear, but I had several requests for the recipe. I promise, you will too.

SERVES 10 TO 12 HANDS-ON 45 MINUTES TOTAL 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES

2 tsp olive oil

1 1⁄2 pounds ground spicy Italian sausage

3 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano)

1⁄2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

2 bay leaves

6 cups chicken broth

1⁄2 pound (8 ounces) small orecchiette pasta or elbow macaroni

1⁄2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add the sausage, breaking up into bite-size pieces; brown for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper, and cook 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, and stir well. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown.

2. Stir in the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Stir into the soup. Stir in the basil.

3. Stir together the mozzarella and Parmesan. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Discard the bay leaves.

4. To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls, and top with the cheese mixture.

TIP: Don’t cook the soup too long or let it boil after adding the pasta or it will get mushy as it absorbs the broth. You may want to consider cooking the pasta separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over it. This is especially helpful if you anticipate any leftovers. Buy ground Italian sausage instead of links for this recipe, so you’re not stuck removing the meat from the casings.