Brown the meat: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown 1 pounds ground beef or Italian sausage with 1 medium onion, diced, breaking it up as it cooks, until no longer pink, about 7 minutes Add 3 garlic cloves, minced and cook 1 minute more.

Build the base: Stir in 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 4 cups beef broth, 1 teaspoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoons Italian seasoning, 0.3 teaspoons red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoons salt, and 0.5 teaspoons black pepper. Bring to a boil.

Simmer: Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Cook the noodles: Add 8 ounces mafaldine or broken lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes,stirring occasionally so they don't stick.

Make the ricotta topping: While the noodles cook, stir together 1 cups ricotta cheese and half of the 0.5 cups grated parmesan in a small bowl.

Serve: Ladle soup into bowls, top each with a dollop of the ricotta mixture, a sprinkle of 1 cups shredded mozzarella and remaining 0.5 cups grated parmesan, and a scatter of 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (for topping).