Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup
Recipe by www.CuisineAtHome.com

This soup calls for mafalda pasta, which is a mini lasagna noodle.  If you cannot find the pasta, don't worry because you can use regular lasagna noodles broken into small pieces.  The original recipe calls for diced provolone or mozzarella cheese.  If you question the diced cheese, you can buy grated mozzarella cheese because that works perfectly too.  This soup is very popular and we would love to hear how you have tweaked the recipe.  Serve this Italian meal with a green salad and bread.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground Italian sausage
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup carrot, diced
2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth
1 can chopped Italian-style stewed tomatoes (14 1/2 oz )
1 cup mafalda pasta
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 cup provolone or fresh mozzarella, diced
1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded
4 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

Brown sausage in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add onions and carrots; saute 3 minutes.

Stir in mushrooms and garlic, and saute another 3 minutes.

Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil.

Stir in the pasta and simmer until cooked, about 10 minutes (or according to package directions).

Add the spinach and cook about 1 minute, or until wilted.

Place cubed cheese in each serving bowl, then ladle soup over to melt.  Garish with Parmesan cheese and basil.

Total time: 45 minutes
Makes 8 cups