Well… technically, this is Pasta Soup – since I was fresh out of lasagna noodles.
I did have high fiber elbow pasta, though, and that worked a treat.
Since I was going with the high fiber pasta, I figured I’d mebbe adapt the heck out of the rest of the recipe; substiuting low sodium veggie juice and home made pork stock for most of the beef stock called for in the original recipe from Stephanie O’Dea in her book “365 Slow Cooker Suppers.”
I also added a heckuva lot more seasoning than Ms. O’Dea called for, but that’s just how we are. Rich sometimes has trouble eating out because such and such a restaurant doesn’t season their food the way I do.
I know, “First World Problems.”
Anywho. Here’s the details on this very nice slow cooker soup…
INGREDIENTS
•1 lb ground beef (80% lean)
•2 cups diced sweet onion
•2 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce
•2 (4 oz) cans ‘shrooms, drained
•1/4 cup sliced black olives
•1 jar tomato sauce
•1 cup beef stock
•1-1/2 cup (1 can) veggie juice
•2 cups pork stock (or other stock)
•1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
•1 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1/2 cup elbow macaroni
•Black pepper
•1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
•1 tsp dried green pepper*
•1 bay leaf
•2 tbsp shredded cheese
•2 tsp Salad Elegant – or your fave seasoning blend, to taste
•2 tsp Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce – or your fave hot sauce, to taste
•2 tbsp Sherry
•Shredded Mozzarella cheese
*No dried green pepper? Go ahead and dice a fresh one, then add it to the ground beef with the diced onion.
No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No problem! Simply skip it, or, go ahead and add a bit of good sherry and mebbe some hot sauce.
Cook the beef with the diced onion (and green pepper, if using fresh) for a couple of minutes, until the meat is mostly browned and the onion is beginning to get tender. Stir in the Sherry Peppers Sauce (or sherry and hot sauce) and continue to cook until most of the cooking liquids have been reduced.
Drain well.
Add to a slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients – except for those last two tablespoons of sherry and the shredded Mozzarella.
Cover and cook on low for seven hours, until the pasta is tender.
Note: that half cup of pasta will look kinda miserly when you first add it, but those noodles are gonna soak up a ton of liquid, so, better to go light.
I mean, this is a soup, right?
About 30 minutes before you plan on serving, stir in those two tablespoons of decent sherry – I used Harvey’s Bristol Cream – and crank the slow cooker up to high.
Serve with crusty bread and shredded Mozz on top.