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Easy Lasagna Soup

This Easy Lasagna Soup combines all the comforting flavors of traditional lasagna into a quick, one-pot meal that takes under 40 minutes to prepare.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 400
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or hot, casings removed) or ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil (or Italian seasoning)
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
  • 28 ounces can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
  • 8-10 pieces lasagna noodles, broken into bite-size pieces (or use mafalda/campanelle)
  • 1 leaf bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half (optional but lush)
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
For the ricotta topping
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • a pinch salt and pepper
To finish
  • Fresh basil or parsley, extra Parmesan, drizzle of olive oil

Method
 

Brown the meat
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add sausage (or beef). Cook, breaking into crumbles, until browned and no longer pink, 5–7 minutes.
  2. Spoon off excess fat if needed.
Aromatics time
  1. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent, 3–4 minutes.
  2. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute until fragrant and slightly darkened.
Build the base
  1. Pour in crushed tomatoes and broth. Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a lively simmer.
Noodles in
  1. Stir in broken lasagna noodles.
  2. Simmer 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick, until al dente. Season with salt and pepper.
Creamy upgrade
  1. Remove bay leaf. Stir in heavy cream (if using) and mozzarella until melty.
  2. Taste and adjust salt/pepper. If soup feels too thick, splash in more broth.
Ricotta topping
  1. In a bowl, mix ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Serve
  1. Ladle soup into bowls.
  2. Top each with a generous spoon of ricotta mixture, extra Parmesan, and fresh basil. Add a tiny drizzle of olive oil if you’re feeling fancy.
  3. Done.

Notes

Store soup (without ricotta topping) in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Keep ricotta mixture separate. If you expect leftovers, cook noodles separately and add per serving to prevent soggy noodles and keep texture on point. You can freeze soup without noodles and dairy for up to 3 months.