Lasagna Soup Recipe
This Lasagna Soup is thick, hearty, and loaded with all the cozy flavors of classic lasagna. Ground beef and spicy Italian sausage simmer with wide ribbons of pasta in a savory tomato broth, then a creamy mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan is stirred directly into the soup for richness before even more is dolloped over each bowl.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Lasagna Soup
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed (about 8 oz)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or less to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 24 oz tomato passata, or canned tomato puree
- 5 cups unsalted beef stock, or chicken stock
- 10 oz Taccole pasta, or an equal amount of lasagna noodles broken into pieces
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- handful fresh basil leaves, torn
Three-Cheese Ricotta Mixture
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Cook, breaking the meat into crumbles, until cooked through and nicely browned. Transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain off the excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot.
- Add the diced onion to the reserved drippings and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds.
- Stir in the red pepper flakes, dried basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, black pepper and salt. Cook briefly until fragrant.
- Pour in the tomato passata and beef stock, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the cooked beef and sausage to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking, until tender.
- While the pasta cooks, place the ricotta between several layers of paper towel and gently press to remove any excess moisture. Transfer to a bowl and add the mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, red pepper flakes and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Once the pasta is tender, turn off the heat. Add the spinach and torn fresh basil and stir until the spinach is just wilted.
- Add 1/2 cup of the three-cheese ricotta mixture directly to the soup and stir until the cheese has melted into the soup. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and finish each serving with generous dollops of the remaining three-cheese ricotta mixture. Top with additional Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
Taccole Pasta: Taccole gives you wide, lasagna-like ribbons in uniform pieces that are easy to scoop into each spoonful. If you can't find it, use traditional lasagna noodles broken into bite-sized pieces.
Cook Pasta Until Tender: Pasta brands and shapes have different cooking times, so use the package directions only as a guide. Avoid overcooking it since the pasta will continue to soften and absorb broth as the soup rests.
Ricotta: If your ricotta has excess liquid, gently pressing it between paper towels creates a thicker, creamier cheese mixture. There's no need to aggressively drain a relatively dry ricotta.
Don't Skip the 1/2 Cup of Cheese: Stirring some of the ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan mixture directly into the pot is what sets this Lasagna Soup apart. It makes the tomato broth rich and creamy while still leaving plenty of cheese for dolloping over each bowl.
Stock: Unsalted beef stock gives the soup a deep, savory flavor while allowing you to control the salt. Chicken stock can be substituted.
Heat Level: Between the spicy Italian sausage and red pepper flakes, this soup has a noticeable kick. For a milder version, use mild Italian sausage and reduce the red pepper flakes.
Leftovers: The pasta will continue absorbing broth as the soup sits, so leftovers will be considerably thicker. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, adding a splash of beef stock as needed to loosen the soup.
Make Ahead: If preparing the soup ahead of time, I recommend making the tomato-meat soup base without the pasta. Cook the pasta in the soup closer to serving so it doesn't become overly soft or absorb too much broth.