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Classic Lasagna flavors in an easy to make richly flavored soup that’s chunky, meaty, filling and so satisfying. We turned our favorite Lasagna recipe into an amazing slurpable bowl of deliciousness!
My husband practically moans through every bite of every bowl he eats. He loves the dollop of ricotta and Parmesan especially as it melts into the soup becoming a creamy puddle of cheesiness.
It’s easy to see why Lasagna Soup is so popular. It tastes just like lasagna in a bowl but is so much easier to make!
Easy Lasagna Soup
This two pot soup is a brilliant take on classic lasagna. With prep time included it’s ready to devour in under an hour. We couldn’t be happier with this recipe and bet you will be too.
Be sure to add the ricotta topping on each individual bowl. It seals the deal on the complete lasagna profile. The creaminess from the ricotta and salty bite from the Parmesan are perfection in the tomatoey broth.
Overview of ingredients
Scroll to the bottom for the complete printable recipe card
For the ricotta topping:
- whole milk ricotta cheese
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley leaves chopped
- fresh cracked black pepper
- salt
For the soup:
- olive oil
- diced onion
- Italian sausage, sweet or hot
- minced garlic
- tomato paste
- crushed red pepper flakes
- Italian seasoning
- dried oregano
- granulated sugar
- salt and pepper
- low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Italian-style crushed canned tomatoes
- Parmesan rind (optional)
- regular lasagna noodles or your favorite ribbon shaped pasta like Mafaldine (pictured above)
- fresh basil leaves julienned
Optional Variations:
- Feel free to use ground beef or ground turkey in place of the Italian sausage if desired.
- Add sliced mushrooms with the onions
- We prefer canned crushed tomatoes but diced tomatoes with juice works well too
How to make Lasagna Soup
1. First prepare the ricotta topping
Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, pepper and salt. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
2. Next make the soup
Pour the olive oil into a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Warm over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and sauté until softened. Add the sausage breaking it into small chunks as it cooks. Continue cooking and stirring until the sausage is no longer pink.
Add the garlic, tomato paste, crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and oregano. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste darkens in color. Add the sugar, broth, tomatoes and Parmesan rind.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Prepare the pasta
While the soup is cooking, break the pasta noodles into bite sized pieces. Cook according to package directions and drain.
4. Finally, garnish and serve
Remove and discard the Parmesan rind if using. Stir the basil and cooked, drained pasta into the soup. Check the seasoning and add salt as needed.
To serve top each bowl with a dollop of the ricotta mixture and fresh basil or parsley. Serve with cheesy garlic bread and enjoy!
Best pasta for Lasagna Soup
As mentioned above we typically use our favorite ribbon shaped pasta, Mafaldine. Regular lasagna noodles also work well but should be broken into bite size pieces or at least pieces that will fit on a spoon.
Look for pasta that has wavy ribbons to imitate lasagna noodles like Campanella. However any kind of pasta with curls and swirls works well too.
Does the pasta get soft over time?
Yes, cooked pasta added to soup will get softer over time and soak up some of the broth. If this bothers you simply add cooked pasta to individual bowl of soup instead of adding it to the entire pot.
Store the pasta and soup in separate containers in the refrigerator. Before refrigerating toss the pasta in olive oil. This will help prevent the pasta from clumping into a ball and make it easier to add to a bowl of soup.
We’ve never been bothered by slightly soft pasta noodles in our soup just as you’ll find in our Minestrone, Chicken Noodle and Pasta e Fagioli. Anyway, this soup won’t last too long!
Tips for the BEST Lasagna Soup recipe
Make sure the soup is well seasoned. Recipes with loads of tomatoes often require a good bit of salt to make the flavors bloom. Check the seasoning before serving.
If you use unsalted tomato paste, low sodium broth and unsalted canned tomatoes, the soup will require additional seasoning.
If you have leftover Parmesan rinds be sure to freeze them to use in soups like this and our Slow-Cooker Chicken and White Bean Soup.
You can even buy Parmesan rinds in the cheese section of well stocked grocery stores. A Parmesan rind brings the flavor for sure, and is terrific added to Marinara sauces too.
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Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
For the ricotta topping:
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves chopped
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 pound Italian sausage sweet or hot
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- salt and pepper
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 28 ounce can Italian-style crushed tomatoes
- Parmesan rind optional
- 5 ounces lasagna noodles or your favorite ribbon shaped pasta like Mafaldine
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves julienned
Instructions
To prepare the ricotta topping:
- Combine the topping ingredients: ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, pepper and salt. Refrigerate until needed.
To prepare the soup:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Once boiling reduce the heat to low and keep warm until needed.
- Pour olive oil into a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Warm over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and sauté until softened. Add the sausage breaking it into small chunks as it cooks. Continuing cooking and stirring until the sausage is no longer pink.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and oregano. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste darkens in color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar, chicken broth, tomatoes and the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering break the pasta noodles into bite size pieces and cook according to package directions. Drain.
- Remove the Parmesan rind and discard. Stir the basil and cooked, drained pasta into the soup. Check the seasoning and add salt as needed. To serve top each bowl with a spoonful of the ricotta mixture and fresh basil or parsley. Serve with cheesy garlic bread for dipping.
Recipe Notes
- Serve topped with shredded mozzarella if desired
- Optional:Â Add the cooked pasta to each individual bowl instead of the pot. This will prevent the noodles from soaking up the broth and becoming a little more soft. This doesn’t bother me or my family but if you want to keep the leftovers for a while this will help.
Nutrition
Storing and freezing Lasagna Soup
Store leftovers in a well sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep the ricotta topping separate for best results.
If you plan to freeze this soup wait to add the cooked pasta when ready to serve. Don’t freeze the soup with the pasta or it will break down and become mushy.
If you love lasagna as much as we love lasagna, try this easy weeknight meal for Lazy Lasagna Casserole. Enjoy!
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