Creamy Lasagna Soup

Prep & Cook Time 40 mins
Serves 4-5

Ingredients

  • Olive oil 
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, divided
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt 
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce 
  • Black pepper 
  • 8 ounces mafaldine pasta (if you can’t find this, use regular uncooked curly lasagna sheets and break them up with your hands into smaller pieces before cooking)
  • 1 cup Kemps cottage cheese 
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Fresh grated parmesan 
  • Fresh basil

How to

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add ground beef and break up into chunks using a metal or rubber spatula. Lower heat to medium and let meat brown for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to encourage even browning. Season with 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt, and continue to break meat up into smaller pieces as it cooks for another 2-3 minutes.

Once meat is mostly cooked, lower heat to medium and stir in tomato paste and onion. Sauté mixture together for 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic and cook another minute, just until fragrant, then pour in a splash of the stock to deglaze, scraping brown bits off the bottom of the pot.  Stir in the rest of the stock, marinara sauce, remaining 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning, another teaspoon salt, and several cranks of fresh ground black pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, leaving lid a bit askew. Let soup simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

As soup cooks, cook pasta according to package directions. 

Stir noodles, cottage cheese, and shredded mozzarella into soup and taste, adjusting for seasoning if necessary. Serve with parmesan and basil.