Ingredients:

  • 450 g Italian Sausage (bulk or casings removed)
  • 1 medium Yellow Onion (finely diced)
  • 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) Dried Oregano
  • 2.5 ml (0.5 tsp) Red Pepper Flakes
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) Tomato Paste
  • 800 g (28 oz) Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1.4 liters (6 cups) Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) Balsamic Vinegar
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 9 Lasagna Noodles (broken into 2.5 cm pieces)
  • 240 ml (1 cup) Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
  • 240 ml (1 cup) Shredded Mozzarella
  • 120 ml (0.5 cup) Freshly Grated Parmesan
  • 60 ml (0.25 cup) Fresh Basil (chiffonade)

Instructions:

  1. Brown the 450 g of Italian sausage in your pot over medium high heat. Cook until no pink remains and the edges start to turn golden.
  2. Add the diced yellow onion directly into the rendered sausage fat. Sauté for roughly 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
  3. Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried oregano, and 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes. Cook for about 60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and toasted.
  4. Push the ingredients to the side and add the 30 ml of tomato paste to the center. Sauté for 2 minutes until it reaches a dark mahogany color.
  5. Pour in about 200 ml of the chicken broth and use your spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom.
  6. Add the remaining broth, 800 g crushed tomatoes, 15 ml balsamic vinegar, 5 ml sugar, and 2 bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the broth smells rich and unified.
  7. Drop the 9 broken lasagna noodles into the simmering liquid. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the ruffles are tender but still have a firm center.
  8. In a small bowl, whisk together the 240 ml ricotta and 120 ml parmesan with a pinch of salt.
  9. Discard the bay leaves and stir the 240 ml mozzarella into the pot. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a generous spoonful of the ricotta mixture and fresh basil. Serve immediately until the cheese begins to pull and melt.