Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound italian sausage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 24 ounce jar marina sauce
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 10 lasagna noodles, broken into 4ths (or smaller pieces, if desired)
• 2 cups spinach
• 10 ounced ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet on medium heat, brown the beef and Italian sausage. Drain and set aside. If you would like smaller chunks of meat, pulse in the bowl of your food processor for just a few seconds (This is optional).
2. In a 5 quart pot on medium heat, add the olive oil and the onion. Sauté for about 5-6 minutes until onion is translucent. Add in the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
3. Mix in the tomato paste, marinara, chicken broth and seasonings. Stir the meat into the mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
4. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the lasagna noodles and spinach. Cook until noodles are al dente, stirring occasionally.  
5. While the noodles are cooking through, go ahead and make the cheese mixture. Add the ricotta, mozzerella and parmesan cheeses to a small mixing bowl. Stir until well combined and set aside.
6. Once the noddles have cooked through, the soup is finished. Ladle out your desired amount of soup into bowls and top with a heap of the cheese mixture. You want to make sure you serve the soup warm so the cheese melts. Serve with garlic bread for dipping, if desired.

*Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the cheese mixture the same way, but in a separate container. Heat before serving, and don't forget to add the cheese!

*If you don't want to use all of the different seasonings listed above, you can substitute them for one tablespoon of your favorite Italian seasoning.

Serves: 4-6