Equipment
- Meat Chopper

Ingredients
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 recipe homemade marinara sauce (or 24 ounce marinara sauce)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoons dried basil
- 7 cups low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 9 lasagna noodles , broken into pieces
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves (optional),
- 10 ounces ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- fresh basil , for serving

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and sausage until browned. Season with salt and pepper as you cook. Drain grease and remove meat from the pot.

2. In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Toss in diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.

3. Stir in tomato paste, marinara sauce, spices, and broth. Return meat to pot.

4. Bring to boil then add lasagna noodles (broken into 4ths) to pot
and reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles
are tender. Add spinach, if using.

5. In a small bowl, stir together mozzarella, Parmesan and ricotta cheeses

6. Ladle the hot soup into bowls, and dollop a scoop of the cheese mixture on top. Garnish with fresh basil

Store lasagna soup covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days!

Make Ahead Instructions: Make the recipe up to step 4. Do not add the noodles to the pot. Store the soup in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, start at step 5, bringing the soup to a boil and cooking the noodles at that point. Serve with a dollop of cheese.

Freezing Instructions: Freeze lasagna soup without the cheese. Place soup in a freezer safe container and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat slowly on the stovetop. If you are making this recipe specifically for freezing, you may choose to make the noodles fresh once ready to serve (see make ahead instructions).

Vegetarian Lasagna Soup: Omit the sausage and ground beef and add more chopped vegetables to step 3 (cooking with onion and garlic). I recommend zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow squash.

Vegan Lasagna Soup: Omit the sausage and ground beef and add more chopped vegetables to step 3 (cooking with onion and garlic). I recommend zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow squash. Substitute the cheese with homemade cashew ricotta.

Pasta Substitutions: Substitute any type of pasta for the broken lasagna noodles!

Calories: 510kcal
Carbohydrates: 35g
Protein: 33g
Fat: 27g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Cholesterol: 84mg
Sodium: 621mg
Potassium: 663mg
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 3g
Vitamin A: 1245IU
Vitamin C: 6mg
Calcium: 291mg
Iron: 3mg