Lasagna Soup
Lasagna soup is everything you love about a bubbling pan of lasagna — the marinara-deep meat sauce, the tender noodles, the molten mozzarella, the creamy ricotta — collapsed into one pot you ladle instead of slice. The technique matters more than it looks: brown the sausage and beef hard first to build the fond, then let the crushed tomatoes and broth cook down in a deep, uncovered simmer until they taste like a sauce that's been on the stove all afternoon. Broken lasagna noodles cook right in that broth and release starch that thickens it into something silky, while a cool, basil-flecked ricotta gets dolloped on at the end and melts into a creamy swirl the moment it hits the hot soup. It's the viral TikTok comfort format with actual technique behind it — and faster than assembling a real lasagna.
Dinner · One-pot, High-protein, Comfort Food • 55 min
Ingredients
- For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water, plus more as needed
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 lasagna noodles (about 10 ounces), broken into 1-inch pieces
- 1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- ½ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- For the ricotta swirl:
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- ½ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
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Steps
- Make the ricotta swirl: In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve so the ricotta stays chilled and the flavors meld.
- Brown the meat: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and ground beef and cook, breaking the meat into crumbles with a wooden spoon, until deeply browned and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving about 1 to 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot.
- Sauté the aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Build the broth: Return the browned meat to the pot. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, bay leaf, and sugar. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Deep simmer: Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors concentrate and the broth thickens slightly and tastes deeply of tomato, about 20 minutes. This uncovered simmer is what gives the soup its lasagna-sauce depth.
- Cook the noodles: Stir in the broken lasagna noodles, pressing them down so they are mostly submerged. Simmer, stirring occasionally so they don't stick, until the noodles are tender with a little bite at the center, 10 to 12 minutes, adding a splash more water if the soup becomes too thick.
- Melt the cheese: Remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan until completely melted and the soup looks glossy and stretchy. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a generous dollop of the chilled ricotta mixture, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and the reserved torn basil. The heat of the soup will warm the ricotta into a creamy swirl.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
The soup base (through step 5, before the noodles go in) can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated — the flavor only deepens. When ready to serve, bring it back to a gentle simmer, then add the noodles and finish as directed, loosening with a splash of broth if it has thickened. The ricotta swirl can be mixed up to a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The noodles will absorb broth as it sits, so loosen with a splash of water or broth when reheating. Reheat gently over medium-low heat until steaming hot, and add a fresh dollop of ricotta after reheating rather than before. The ricotta mixture itself keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Substitutions
Use all ground beef or all sausage if you prefer, or swap in ground turkey or Italian-style chicken sausage for a lighter version (brown it well and add a splash more oil). Regular, no-boil, or gluten-free lasagna noodles all work; gluten-free noodles may cook a minute faster, so check them early. Low-moisture mozzarella melts the best, but part-skim is fine. For a dairy-free version, use plant-based ricotta and mozzarella shreds plus a dairy-free Parmesan alternative. For a richer, creamier broth, stir ½ cup heavy cream into the soup just before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving: about 1½ cups
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
