Lasagna Soup

We had this for dinner yesterday and it was BEYOND GOOD. Tastes just like lasagna - so creamy and cheesy. DELISH. Serve with garlic bread.  I added a lot of changes in italics - I like to make things easier!

LASAGNA SOUP
(from Family Fun magazine)

2 teaspoons olive oil (I left this out)
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed) (I used hamburger - 1 lb.)
2 onions, finely chopped (I used onion flakes/onion powder. Can't stand the texture of onions!)
4 garlic cloves, minced (I used granulated garlic)
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I used the whole small can - didn't want to waste the rest of it)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves (I used 1/2 tsp. of bay flakes?)
8 ounces fusilli pasta (I'm sure any noodle would work. I bought the fusilli in the bulk section at Winco. They are cute!)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil (I used 1 tsp or so of dried basil)
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. (or 1 minute!) Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. (we only simmered 10 or 15 minutes)

2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. (We just put a spoonful of ricotta in our individual bowl, sprinkled heavily with parmesan and poured soup over top.) Makes about 13 cups.