recommendation: delicious lasagna soup

I've been watching a lot of cooking shows lately and Paula Deen and her southern drawl have me drooling over chocolate layered cakes, cheesy potatoes, fried pickles and more. Her shows often include guests and her sons Jamie and Bobby make frequent appearances. I found a recipe from them online (ok. fine. pinterest), and knew I could trust it because anyone who cooks with Paula knows what they are doing. The Deen brothers took Paula's original recipe and lightened it up. The picture on the left is mine before the cheese, the one on the right is Paula's :)

Here are his instructions:
Bobby’s Lighter Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
*note 1 - I used 4 of the 5 sausages. Truth be told, I probably would have been fine with 3, and then I would have had 2 left over that I could have used for another dinner...
NOTE #2, updated 1/9/12 - we used Jennie O's Hot Italian Turkey Sausage and it adds good heat! *
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (i use preminced garlic from a jar)
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
*note - I couldn't find ww lasagna noodles that were decently priced. So i got regular noodles that gave me double the amount for half the price so I could make another meal out of the extra noodles.*
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (i used a 4 cheese reduced fat italian blend)
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional, i skipped)

Instructions:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

Original Recipe by Paula Deen: Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
Take It Lighter recipe courtesy of Bobby and Jamie Deen, and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen

I served this with bread rolls (take a french loaf, slice up, put butter, paprika, a sprinkle of parm cheese, cook in oven at 350 for 15 minutes). It made a large pot of soup but after 1 large bowl each, my hubby and I were full. Leftovers may need a little extra broth if any leftover added because it thickens in the fridge. This recipe is awesome for a cold day and definitely worth trying!