Lasagna Soup 🍂🍝

All the comfort of lasagna, in one cozy bowl.

Lasagna might just be the ultimate comfort food — but let’s be honest, layering noodles, sauce, and cheese isn’t exactly a weeknight move. That’s where this Lasagna Soup comes in. You get all the richness of a slow-simmered sauce, hearty noodles, and that melty ricotta-Parmesan bite — but in one pot, and in a fraction of the time.

What I love most is that it gives you the best part of lasagna — the perfect bite with a little of everything — over and over again. The broth is rich and herby with a splash of red wine, the noodles soak it all up, and every bowl gets finished with a creamy ricotta dollop that melts right in. Perfection.

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Notes:

• This recipe calls for 6–8 cups of broth. Use 6 cups if you like it thicker and more stew-like, or 8 cups if you want it on the soupier side (and to keep some extra broth for reheating leftovers).

• I used 1 lb of ground beef and 1 link of hot Italian sausage for this batch. You can do the same, go half-and-half, or mix it up however you like — any combo of ground beef, sausage, chicken, or turkey will work here.

• If you don’t have all four dried herbs (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano), you can swap them for 1 tbsp Italian seasoning.

• I pulsed my mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) in the food processor for a smoother base — it almost melts into the broth as it cooks. If you prefer more texture, you can dice it by hand for a chunkier, rustic soup.

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Tips to Take It From Good to Great

• Don’t skip the Parmesan rind. It adds incredible depth and makes the broth taste like it simmered all day. (Tip: you don’t need to hunt down rinds — just cut the end off a wedge of Parmesan and toss it in.)

• Bloom your herbs. Toast dried oregano, basil, parsley, and thyme with the mirepoix in olive oil before adding liquid — it wakes up their flavor.

• Toss in herb stems. Add parsley or basil stems while the soup simmers (with the bay leaf and Parmesan rind). They infuse subtle flavor, while the fresh leaves at the end keep it bright.

• Ladle over noodles for leftovers. To avoid soggy pasta, cook the noodles separately if you plan to store and reheat.

• Switch up the pasta. If you don’t feel like breaking lasagna sheets, bowties (farfalle) make a great swap and hold onto the sauce beautifully.

• Cheese dollop = lasagna layers. That ricotta-Parmesan-mozzarella mixture on top makes every spoonful taste like the perfect bite of lasagna.

• Finish with fresh basil. Tear it over each bowl right before serving for brightness and balance.

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Lasagna Soup

Servings: ~6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Soup Base

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lb lean ground beef (or Italian sausage, or a combination of both)

• 1 yellow onion, finely diced

• 2 medium carrots, finely diced

• 3 ribs celery, finely diced

• 6–8 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• ½ cup dry red wine (optional, but adds depth)

• 1 (28 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand or 24 oz quality marinara (Rao’s, etc.)

• 6–8 cups low-sodium beef broth (use 8 for a soupier version; keeps leftovers from getting too thick)

• 1 Parmesan rind (optional, but highly recommended)

• 2 bay leaves (optional)

• 1 sprig fresh thyme (optional)

• 1–2 fresh parsley stems or basil stems (optional, remove before serving)

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried basil

• 1 tsp dried parsley

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• ½ tbsp Calabrian chilies or red pepper flakes, to taste

• ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature (or ¼ cup cream + ¼ cup mascarpone for extra silkiness)

• ½ lb lasagna noodles, broken into bite-size pieces (or farfalle ‘bow tie’)

Cheese Mixture

• 1 cup ricotta

• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella

• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

• Pinch of nutmeg (optional, classic lasagna touch)

• Zest of ¼ lemon (optional, brightens)

• Salt and black pepper, to taste (~1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper)

To Finish

• Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

• Extra Parmesan

Instructions

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE RECIPE

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef (and sausage, if using), breaking it up until deeply browned. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.

2. Add the remaining olive oil, if needed. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the Calabrian chilies. Cook 7–10 minutes, letting any extra liquid evaporate if you pulsed the veg. Stir in the dried oregano, basil, parsley, and thyme, blooming them in the oil for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

3. Clear a space in the center of the pan and add the tomato paste. Let it caramelize in direct contact with the pan for 1–2 minutes before stirring into the vegetables. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes to deepen the flavor.

4. Pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.

5. Add the marinara (or crushed tomatoes), 6–8 cups broth, Parmesan rind, bay leaf, and parsley or basil stems. Return the browned meat to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to let the flavors concentrate.

6. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, parsley, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until creamy. Set aside.

7. Add the broken lasagna noodles, increase the heat to medium, and simmer partially covered at a steady simmer until al dente, about 8–10 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking.

8. Remove the bay leaf, Parmesan rind, and herb stems. Stir in the cream (and mascarpone, if using). Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed.

9. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a generous dollop of the cheese mixture in the center of each. Finish with torn basil, extra Parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper.

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Grocery List

Protein

• 1 lb ground beef (or combination of Italian sausage)

Produce

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 medium carrots

• 3 ribs celery

• 1 head garlic (6–8 cloves)

• Fresh parsley

• Fresh basil

• 1 lemon

Pantry

• Olive oil

• Tomato paste

• 1 (28 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes or 24 oz marinara

• 6–8 cups beef broth

• Bay leaf

• Parmesan rind (optional)

• Dried oregano, basil, parsley, thyme

• Calabrian chilies

• Lasagna noodles

Dairy

• Heavy cream (or mascarpone + cream)

• Ricotta

• Parmesan

• Mozzarella

Alcohol

• Dry red wine (1/2 cup, optional)

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