December Recipe - Slow Cooker Lasagne Soup

I love lasagna but sometimes the effort to make it at homes means we only enjoy on the rare occasion.  So when I first made this slow cooker lasagna soup recipe from Damn Delicious, we knew we’d be adding it into the regular rotation.  It captures all the delicious flavors of a real lasagna - I promise! 

Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef

• 1/2 Italian sausage, casing removed

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 medium sweet onion, diced

• 2 15-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

• 1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes

• 6 cups beef stock

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked campanelle pasta

• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped 

Instructions 

1. Brown the meat. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and sausage, and cook until browned, about 5-8 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef and sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.

2. Stir in garlic and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Transfer to slow cooker.  Place ground beef and onion mixture into a 6 quart slow cooker. Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef stock, Italian seasoning and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 5-6 hours. Add Pasta. Uncover and stir in pasta; cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until tender.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Serve immediately, topped with dollops of ricotta and garnished with parsley.