- Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown about five minutes, breaking into bite sized pieces.
- Add onions and cook until translucent, about six minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook for one minute. Add tomato paste and incorporate well, cooking 3-4 minutes until the paste turns a deep rusty red.
- Add the diced tomato and bay leaves, then the chicken stock. Stir. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- At this point, you can add the pasta and continue cooking until al dente - we opted to cook the pasta separately so that it didn't overcook when we reheated leftovers!
- While the soup is simmering, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- To serve, place a small spoonful of the ricotta mix at the bottom of each bowl, then sprinkle with mozzarella. Ladle soup over the cheeses and garnish with fresh basil.
I think the only thing I'll do differently next time is to add a bunch of fresh sliced mushrooms, and maybe keep the sausage in bigger pieces. While the soup was really good and flavorful, we both really like hearty soups and this seemed a bit thin and basic. Other than that, we'll definitely be making it again!