I made Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo and it's so much better than chicken noodle soup

Ravioli en brodo appears in Garten's most recent cookbook, "Go-To Dinners." She said the key to its flavor is "rich homemade chicken stock."

I usually take the quicker option because, as the Barefoot Contessa herself says, "store-bought is fine!" But since the broth is clearly the star of this dish, I decided to make Garten's homemade chicken stock instead.

To make Garten's homemade chicken stock, you'll need:

• 3 (5-pound) roasting chickens

• 3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered

• 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved

• 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds

• 4 parsnips, unpeeled and halved

• 20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 20 sprigs fresh dill

• 15 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half

• 1 tablespoons kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns (not ground)

Place all the ingredients in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot, add 7 quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer your stock uncovered, skimming off any foam that comes to the top, for at least four hours (I let it simmer for about six). Let the stock cool, then strain through a colander and discard the solids.

To make Garten's ravioli en brodo at home, for a serving of 4-6, you'll need:

• 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (about 2 onions)

• 2 cups (½-inch thick) diagonally sliced carrots, (about 3-5 carrots)

• 1 ½ cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 ribs)

• 1 ½ cups (½-inch) diced fennel, top and core removed

• 1 Italian Parmesan cheese rind (about 2 x 3 inches)

• 1 pound cheese ravioli, fresh or frozen

• Freshly-grated Italian parmesan cheese, for serving

• Minced fresh dill or parsley, for serving

• Freshly-squeezed lemon juice, for serving

I chopped the onions, peeled and sliced the carrots, and diced the celery and fennel.

I added ¼ cup of olive oil to a pot placed over medium heat. Then I threw in the onions, celery, carrots, and fennel and cooked them for 15 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally, until they had softened.

I also threw in 2 cups of water, per Garten's instructions.

One thing I've learned in my season of soup-making is that a parmesan rind can add so much extra flavor to your broth.

As explained by Food & Wine, the parmesan rind — which is completely edible — releases a "savory and nutty" depth as it begins to melt and also helps give soups a "silky consistency." You can store parmesan rinds in a Ziploc bag in your freezer for up to a year, so it's always on hand whenever you need to add a little more umami to your dinner.

Garten says you should let the soup simmer partially uncovered.

I grated my parmesan cheese and minced some dill for the soup toppings.

I cooked my ravioli in a pot of boiling water with two tablespoons of salt for about four minutes.

Every pasta is different, so make sure to follow the specific directions on the package of your ravioli.

Garten says doing this step will ensure the ravioli squares don't stick together.

It was time to serve dinner!

I started with four raviolis, but quickly realized I definitely wanted more.

There's something about this soup that just looks so elegant and impressive. The broth has such a lovely golden hue, and the pops of color from the carrots and dill give it a rustic charm.

And did I mention it smelled phenomenal?

I've probably made close to 40 of Garten's recipes — if not more — over the last few years and her ravioli en brodo is easily one of the best I've ever tried. The broth is so rich and full-bodied, it really blew me away. I made this for my boyfriend for dinner one night and he couldn't resist getting seconds (and thirds).

"A lot of broths are kind of bland or lacking, but this broth alone was just exploding with flavor," he told me.

The dill and lemon also add some lovely brightness to the soup, which paired perfectly with the cheesy pasta. I opted for a cacio e pepe ravioli and would highly recommend it, as I loved that extra kick of pepper.

My only complaint about Garten's ravioli en brodo is that it's ruined store-bought chicken stock for me. But an extra day of work is absolutely worth this soup, which I know I'll be making forever.