Italian Lasagna Soup (Printable Version)
A warming one-pot meal with rich tomato broth, tender pasta, savory meat, and creamy cheese topping.
# Ingredient List:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, diced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced
→ Liquids & Broth
06 - 4 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth
07 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
08 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
→ Pasta
10 - 8 oz lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
→ Cheese Mixture
11 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
12 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
15 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 1/2 tsp dried parsley
16 - Salt & black pepper, to taste
→ Seasonings
17 - 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
18 - 1 tsp dried basil
19 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
20 - Salt & black pepper, to taste
21 - 2 tbsp olive oil
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add ground beef or sausage. Cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through. Drain excess fat if needed.
02 - Add diced onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with juices, broth, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
04 - Add broken lasagna noodles. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes, or until pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
05 - While soup simmers, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
06 - Taste soup and adjust seasonings as needed. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous dollop of the cheese mixture. Garnish with extra fresh basil or Parmesan if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- You get all the comfort of baked lasagna in about one third of the time and with only one pot to clean
- The soup version actually lets the tomato and herb flavors meld more deeply into the broth than layering ever could
02 -
- The cheese mixture tastes best at room temperature rather than cold from the fridge, it melts into the hot soup much more easily
- This soup actually tastes better the next day when all the flavors have had time to really marry and develop
03 -
- If the soup seems too thick after sitting, add a splash of broth when reheating because pasta continues soaking up liquid
- Make your own Italian sausage by mixing ground pork with fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of sugar