You would never know there’s an entire can of beans blended right into the broth of this soup. Cannellini beans add plant-based protein and fiber, but do not impact the flavor of this recipe at all. The beans thicken the soup for a silky, naturally creamy broth that tastes luscious.
0 Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute. Add the dried oregano and chili flakes (if using) and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat. Add the tomato sauce, fresh basil, beans, broth, and salt and pepper to taste.
1 Using an immersion blender, blend until a completely smooth broth forms. Alternatively, transfer the contents of the pot to a blender and process until smooth. If using a blender, return the blended broth to the pot and place over medium-high heat.
2 Once the broth reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium, keeping at a steady simmer. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano rinds (if using), to infuse the soup with flavor. Add the broken lasagna noodles. Stir the noodles constantly for the first 3 minutes of cooking, to prevent them from sticking together. After 3 minutes, cover the pot and let cook, stirring occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking. The noodles take about 6 to 8 minutes total until cooked.
5 Make sure you are using “oven-ready” lasagna noodles, which cook faster than traditional lasagna noodles. If using traditional noodles, you may need to cook them for up to 12 minutes. After about 6 minutes of cooking time, taste a tiny section of noodles every few minutes to test for doneness.
3 Turn off the heat. Add the spinach (if using) and 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and stir for 1 minute, until the spinach wilts. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
4 Ladle the soup into bowls and add 1 tablespoon ricotta to each bowl. Stir the ricotta into the warm soup or leave it as a scooped garnish. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil leaves and serve.
