Lasagna Soup

This recipe is very good and very easy!  Everyone enjoyed it except for my husband, but he's hit or miss when it comes to things with a tomato base.  I served these with some warm tasty garlic bread sticks.  Enjoy!

I adapted this recipe from a farmgirl's dabbles.

Ingredients for the soup:
-2 tsp olive oil
-1 lb. Italian or breakfast sausage {I used breakfast sausage, its milder for my little ones}
-2 large onions, chopped
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-2 tsp dried oregano
-2 tsp dried basil
-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-6 oz. can tomato paste
-about 3 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped OR 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
-a couple of dashes liquid smoke, optional if not using fire roasted canned tomatoes
-2 bay leaves
-6 cups chicken stock {I used water and chicken bouillon}
-8 oz. dry pasta (1 cup)
-salt and pepper to taste

Cheesy Bottom:
-8 oz. ricotta
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan
-1/4 tsp salt
-pinch freshly ground pepper

Process:
1. Brown sausage in skillet, drain in colander and rinse off excess grease.  Return sausage to skillet, add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook over medium-low heat until fragrant and onion just starts to turn transparent.

2. Meanwhile to peel fresh tomatoes (skip this step if using canned tomatoes): fill a large pot about half way with water, bring to a boil.  Cut a shallow "X" in the bottom of all of your fresh tomatoes. Once the water is boiling, carefully drop tomatoes into the water for about 30 seconds; remove tomatoes from water, allow to cool a little, peel skin from tomatoes and roughly chop.

3. In crock-pot combine chicken broth, oregano, basil and crushed red pepper.

The yellow chunks are the chicken bouillon,
it dissolves better in hot water.

 4. Add peeled, chopped tomatoes to crock.

 5. Add bay leaves to crock.

 6. Add salt and pepper to crock.

 7. Mix well.

 8. Mix in meat mixture and tomato paste.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

 9. While soup is cooking in a small bowl mix all 'Cheesy Bottom' ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 10. About 20-30 minutes before serving pour dried pasta into soup and mix thoroughly. And stir occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking to each other.
11. To serve: Remove bay leaves and place a spoonful of the 'Cheesy Bottom' in the bottom of each of your serving bowls and top with the warm delicious soup.
12. Enjoy!