Vodka Sauce Lasagna Soup

SO many requests for a recipe post with more details about how to make this soup!! If you're new here - I shared a vodka sauce lasagna recipe that went super viral on Instagram and TikTok. This recipe is a spin off soup version!! Very much like regular lasagna soup but with a little vodka sauce flavoring and flare! It's creamy, comforting and just perfect for anyone who lovessss a good pink pasta sauce.

Recipe makes enough for 4 bowls, or 5-6 smaller cups of soup!

What you need:

• ~1 ish lb ground Italian sausage
• 1/2 diced large white onion
• 3 grated garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 oz vodka or white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 32 oz chicken broth (bonus points for bone broth!)
• 2 cups broken mafaldine or lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup fresh torn basil
• 1/2 cup chopped dino kale
• More basil + ricotta, parm & black pepper for garnishing

What to do:

1. Cook the Italian sausage and onion in a large skillet until the onions are fragrant and the ground meat is mostly browned on the edges. (If you're in a pinch - any ground meat will work, you'll just want to season it with Italian herbs/salt/pepper.)
2. Add in the garlic and tomato paste. Mix and cook for 5 minutes, the paste should be brick red in color - this brings out the good flavor and makes it taste less pasty!
3. Add the vodka or white wine to deglaze and scrape up any of the sausage bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the liquid has decreased by half, you're ready for the next step. (You can use broth or even water to de-glaze if alcohol is something you don't cook with!)
4. Pour the heavy cream into the pot and stir. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat to low and let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Add the chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. (If using a low sodium broth you may need to season with a little salt once it's finished.)
6. Once boiling, add the pasta, basil and kale. Turn the heat setting so that the soup is just bubbling, then cover it with a lid and cook it until the pasta is finished cooking.
7. Scoop into bowls and top with ricotta, parm and more fresh basil leaves.