Ingredients:

  • 1 lb sweet or spicy Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed
  • 1 lb lean ground beef (90/10)
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 24 oz marinara sauce
  • 6 cups beef bone broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 11 dry lasagna noodles, broken into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage and ground beef until mahogany-colored and crispy. Add diced onion and minced garlic during the last 3 minutes of browning until translucent.
  2. Drain excess fat from the meat mixture and transfer the contents to a 6-quart slow cooker.
  3. Stir in the marinara sauce, beef bone broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
  5. Add the broken lasagna noodles to the slow cooker. Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes until the noodles are al dente.
  6. Stir in the heavy cream and fresh baby spinach until the spinach is wilted.
  7. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, and parsley. Serve each bowl of soup topped with a generous dollop of the cheese mixture and shredded mozzarella cheese.