All the Flavor, NONE of the Fuss!
Who'd have thought it would take FIVE hours for an eye exam and shopping for a single item? A comedy of errors, including inaccurate public transportation schedules, made for a big chunk of my “day offâ€. As gorgeous as the weather was at that moment (we have snow again?), it left me drained and wanting something equivalent to “warm & fuzzyâ€
And easy – the day had taken it's toll on me already! Brown some meat, saute some veggies, some sauce and pasta? Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. And cheese?!? Yes, I'd found my moment with Lasagna Soup.
Now, the author starts off saying it had to be “hearty†for her crew – in MY opinion, this is more like an Italian “goulashâ€, or more appropriately, a deconstructed lasagna. All the great flavors, a fraction of the effort. Whatever you call it, it's easy, fast, and can be as simple or fancy as you'd like! And of course, delicious!
This is a one pot meal - you even cook the pasta in the broth. Now, if you really want a soup, I'd add a couple more cups of stock - but if you just want it NOW, this is perfect! When I first made it, I followed the directions and broiled the cheese mixture on top of my oven proof bowl, which made for a nice presentation.
But for my leftovers (cooking for one this week), I stirred the rest of the cheese into the pot, and simply nuked a bowl full when ready.
Gotta tell you, my co-workers were jealous about this one – the aroma is just as great a the flavor. I liked the slight heat from using spicy sausage and a bit of red pepper flakes, but you may prefer a different balance. I'm definitely adding some chopped spinach (and nutmeg) to my next batch for just a touch of, you know... healthy stuff?
Enjoy! I did.
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