Tomato Basil Lasagna Soup

• Heat a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat.  Add meat and onion to pan and cook until meat is browned and onions are soft.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.  Drain off any fat.
• To the meat, add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes to brown.  Add pasta sauce, 6 cups of chicken broth, stewed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar (if using), basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, bay leaf and pasta.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer until pasta is tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Once pasta is tender, remove bay leaf and stir in heavy cream.  You can add additional cups of chicken broth to reach your desired thickness for the soup.
• Put about 1/4 cup (or large spoonful) of ricotta in the bottom of a soup bowl, ladle soup over ricotta and garnish with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Cooks Notes:
Sugar is only necessary if you want to cut the acidic nature of the tomato.  Some prefer to tone down the brightness of tomatoes and sugar does the trick.  We suggest that you wait until the soup is cooked and taste before adding to see if it is needed.

Leftovers can be reheated, but pasta will swell as it absorbs liquid from sitting in the refrigerator.  You may need to add a bit of liquid to thin out when reheating, such as chicken broth or water.