There isn’t much to love about colder weather, at least in my humble opinion. But one thing I can always get behind is the full embrace of comfort food.
And what’s more comforting than pasta or soup? Well, what about pasta and soup?
After seeing lasagna soup all over my social media feeds, I decided it was finally time to try the dish. And who better to lead the way than Ree Drummond, aka the Pioneer Woman?
Ree Drummond’s lasagna soup comes packed with meat, herbs, and cheese.
To make 8-10 servings of Drummond’s lasagna soup, you’ll need:
- 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 pound of pork sausage, casings removed
- 1 14.5-ounce can of whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 sprigs of thyme, minced
- 1 sprig of oregano, minced
- 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
- ¾ cup of white wine (or stock)
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, plus more for serving
For the ricotta dumplings, you’ll need:
- 1 cup of whole-milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon of minced parsley
- 1 tablespoon of minced basil, plus more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
I began by chopping all my herbs and veggies.
Compared to some soups I’ve made, such as Ina Garten’s chicken chili, there’s very little required prep for Drummond’s recipe.
All I had to do was slice the onions, chop some parsley, and mince my garlic, thyme, and oregano.
I added olive oil to a big pot and threw in my onion, garlic, oregano, and thyme.
I cooked the veggies and herbs over medium heat for about two minutes, stirring occasionally, until they began to soften.
I threw the beef and pork into the pot, seasoning them with salt and pepper.
I increased the heat to medium-high before adding the ground beef and sausage.
I let the meat cook for about five minutes.
I broke up the beef and sausage with a meat masher, which made this step super quick. A wooden spoon would also do the trick.
Drummond recommends draining off “at least half of the grease” once your meat is ready.
I added the tomato paste, letting it cook for a minute before I added the white wine.
I stirred everything together again, allowing the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot.
Then I threw in the can of whole tomatoes with their juice.
Drummond’s recipe calls for a 14.5-ounce can, but I could only find 28-ounce cans at the store. I decided to use the entire can so my soup would have even more broth.
I crushed the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon as I stirred everything together.
I also added the chicken stock.
I used store-bought stock when I tested this recipe, but if you have extra time, homemade chicken stock would make it even better.
I added the parsley, then brought my broth to a boil.
Once my soup was boiling, I reduced the heat so it could simmer.
Drummond recommends simmering your soup for 20 minutes. I had some extra time and wanted the flavors to develop a little longer, so I opted for 40 minutes instead.
While my soup was simmering, I cooked the lasagna noodles.
Drummond’s recipe calls for 12 lasagna noodles, but I used the entire box. I have a strict No Noodle Left Behind policy.
I filled a pot with salted water and brought it to a boil, breaking the noodles into smaller pieces as I added them.
Drummond says you should let the noodles cook for about a minute less than the package instructions, until they’re almost tender, so I cooked my pasta for nine minutes total.
After draining the noodles, I drizzled some olive oil on top to prevent them from sticking together. I had a feeling my broth would need far more liquid once I added the noodles, so I also saved the pasta water.
I also prepped the herbs for my ricotta dumplings.
All I needed to do was mince some more parsley and basil.
Once the soup finished simmering, I added the heavy cream.
My soup was almost ready!
Then I added the lasagna noodles, along with a few extra ladles of pasta water.
I let the soup simmer for five minutes after adding the noodles and pasta water.
I made the ricotta dumplings while the soup continued to simmer.
I added the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses to a bowl, along with the chopped parsley and basil.
I seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper and stirred everything together, molding it into one big ball I could scoop my little dumplings out of.
I served each bowl with dollops of ricotta dumplings, plus a sprinkle of basil on top.
I loved how the ricotta dumplings popped against the deep-red broth of the soup, and the sprinkle of basil on top was a nice touch. The curves of the lasagna noodles peeking through the surface made my bowl look especially inviting.
I opted for small dumplings because I liked their presentation, but you could also use big dollops if you prefer.
The Pioneer Woman’s lasagna soup is perfect for a chilly night.
I made Drummond’s lasagna soup for my fiancé, who called it “the best of both worlds.” That first spoonful of meat, pasta, and cheese instantly warmed our souls.
The broth needed a little more salt to taste, but it went so well with the creamy ricotta dumplings. I recommend really mixing them into the broth to give your soup even more of a flavor punch, and make sure to break the noodles into smaller pieces so they’re easier to pick up with each spoonful.
Whether you’re looking to de-stress or want a cozy night in, Drummond’s lasagna soup is the comfort dinner of dreams.
Read the original article on Business Insider
The post This easy lasagna soup by ‘The Pioneer Woman’ star Ree Drummond is one of my favorite fall dishes appeared first on Business Insider.
