Ingredients:

  • 1 lb lean ground beef (93/7)
  • 2 links mild Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 24 oz marinara sauce, no sugar added
  • 4 cups chicken bone broth
  • 10 lasagna noodles, broken into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
  • 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

  1. Brown the meat. Place your Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the 1 lb lean ground beef and 2 links of mild Italian chicken sausage (casings removed). Cook until browned and crumbly. Note: Draining the fat now ensures a clean tasting broth later.
  2. Sauté the aromatics. Toss in the diced yellow onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
  3. Bloom the paste. Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves and 2 tbsp tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes until the paste turns a deep brick red. Note: This blooming step removes the raw metallic taste from the paste.
  4. Build the broth. Pour in the 24 oz marinara sauce, 4 cups chicken bone broth, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, and 1 tsp smoked paprika. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
  5. Cook the noodles. Add the 10 broken lasagna noodles. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the pasta is tender but firm. Stir occasionally so the noodles don't clump together.
  6. Blend the dairy. While the soup simmers, put the 1 cup cottage cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan in a blender. Process until completely smooth and velvety.
  7. Temper the mixture. Ladle about half a cup of the hot soup liquid into the blender with the cheese and pulse. Gradually stir this back into the main pot. Note: This prevents the cheese from curdling.
  8. Final melt. Turn off the heat. Stir in the 1/2 cup mozzarella until long, cheesy strings appear.
  9. Finish and serve. Fold in the 1/4 cup fresh basil until the herb aroma hits your nose.