This is a hearty soup for cool, autumn evenings. I changed up the recipe from Cooking Classy and this was the result.
500 g ground beef
2 Tablespoons oil for pan
1 large onion
5 cloves of garlic
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
700 ml of tomato puree
1 litre beef broth
2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1/2 tsp. whole fennel seeds
1 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper
7 express lasagna noodles, broken into bite sized pieces
2 Tablespoons fresh basil
Topping:
3 heaped Tablespoons ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Mix the cheeses for the topping together and set aside. Brown the beef, then add the onion and garlic, cooking to soften. Add in the rest of the soup ingredients (except the fresh basil), bring to a boil, and simmer 15-20 minutes. (Since I use the express noodles, I do not have to cook them first). Add the fresh basil just before serving. Ladle into bowls and top with the cheese mixture.
