WHAT'S FOR DINNER #4

'La-ZAG-na' Soup

(say it with a thick Bronx accent like we do...)

 A friend of mine posted this soup on facebook a couple of weeks ago (thanks Joy) and I thought it looked so incredibly good that I couldn't wait to try it... then it started to warm up outside and you can't really make good hearty soup when the weather is nice. Imagine my happiness when the temperature dropped again, and then it snowed! Perfect soup weather!

Although my daughter, Erin, says that "soup is not a meal", this recipe really is a meal in a pot and it only takes an hour or so to make from start to finish. I changed some 'things and stuff' from the original recipe to make it mine but it still only has about 350 calories per serving.

  

‘La-ZAG-na’ Soup

For the soup:

2 tsp olive oil

1 lb ground sausage

1 lb ground turkey

3 cups diced onion

4 cloves fresh minced garlic

2 tsp dried oregano (or Italian seasoning)

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 TBSP tomato paste

3 14 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

5 cups chicken stock

1 12 oz bag mafalda (mini lasagna) or bow tie pasta

½ cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves

For the cheesy filling:

1 15 oz container skim Ricotta cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

pinch of salt and a good grind of fresh pepper

The process:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they start to soften. Add the meat, breaking up into bite size chunks and brown for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute. Add the tomato paste stirring well to coat the browned meat and cook for two to three minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken stock. stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. If the broth is too thin, dissolve 2 tbsp of cornstarch in a quarter cup of water and add to the soup to give it a little more body. Add the pasta and cook just until al dente; do not overcook or the pasta will be mushy.

While the pasta is cooking, make the cheese filling. In a bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella, along with the salt and pepper.

To serve:

Ladle a serving of soup into a bowl. Drop a couple dabs of cheese filling on top and then sprinkle with a little extra mozzarella, parmesan and sliced fresh basil. Serve with a slice of crispy baguette or a chunk of fresh artisan bread for dipping.

 The cheese topping is delicious but go easy... 

too much of a good thing is still too much.

Hurry and make a pot of  soup before the weather gets warm again... Your family will love it!