I spent most of Sunday feeling sleep deprived, because Daylight Savings Time has struck again! I’m not sure whether we’re leaving or entering Daylight Savings – I’ve never known which time was the Original Time. Is the forward or backward an hour part of the year the time it was before Daylight Savings? I know why we do Daylight Savings, but something about The Government asserting that they can just Change Time doesn’t sit right with me. But at the same time… I’d be mad if they got rid of it. Because what, Congress thinks they have the power to change time AGAIN? Nuh-uh.
Anyways, I got an hour less sleep after an already later night that usual on Sunday, and I was tired. But sunset was at 7:10pm! So I spent 6:40-7:20 on a little stroll around the park. I figured, if time is just going to change like that, and I’m going to be tired all day, I may as well enjoy that extra hour in the evening! And enjoy it I did. I timed my walk perfectly to catch the sunset, and even saw a rainbow! And there wasn’t even any rain! I hadn’t even thought rainbows could appear at sunset, but lo and behold, one did. Spectacular.
Other than sunset rainbows and sunsets after 7pm, this extra daylight means it’s easier for me to post dinner recipes. In the winter, the already weak daylight is usually gone by 5pm, and I usually eat dinner after 6pm. So if I want to post a savory recipe in the winter, I have to photograph leftovers in midday, or just make it at lunchtime. Which, I did plenty of times. But for this soup, I was able to photograph it at 6pm, and the daylight was still there!
I’ve said it before, but the perfect soup recipe already exists. It’s this sausage and bean one from Serving Dumplings. I feel no need to post about that soup as it is, because I make no changes to the recipe. However, I do use that recipe as a base method and ingredients for other soups, and it’s pretty easy to riff off of! Like this butternut squash version of it.
This soup is another riff on it, inspired by my mom’s White Bean Pesto Lasagna. That recipe hasn’t been posted about on here yet, but it will be eventually. It’s a great lasagna. So since I had some extra lasagna noodles in the pantry, I decided to make a lasagna noodle soup! I replaced the tomato in the original recipe with pesto, and kept the sausage because it’s tasty. Add a bit more cheese in the soup or on top, and voila!
Broken up lasagna noodles are actually perfect for soup, I think. You could also put in any other noodles you have in your pantry. But there’s something frustrating about having half a box of lasagna noodles in your pantry, knowing the only way to use them up is to make lasagna again, and what if there’s an uneven amount of them? Well look no further: another way to use them up!
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PinIngredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage – mild or spicy, no casings
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion
- 1 tsp each: salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup pesto
- 1/2 box of lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces (this is a flexible amount – add as much as you have or want)
- 2 cans cannellini beans – drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1.5 ounces grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Get all the prep done before you start cooking: mince the garlic and finely chop the onion. Remove the casings from your sausage. Drain and rinse the beans.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high. Add sausage, break up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and onion, cook until fragrant, for 3 minutes. Stir in spices, and cook for 1 minute more.
- Pour in broth and pesto. Bring to a boil, then add cannellini beans and broken lasagna noodles. Stir, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then.
- When ready, pour in cream and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheeses. Adjust salt to taste.
- Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from Serving Dumplings