Lasagna without the layering, the baking sheet, or the hour in the oven. This easy lasagna soup is a one-pot tomato broth loaded with beef, Italian sausage, and broken lasagna noodles, then finished the way lasagna should be finished: a cold scoop of ricotta, melted mozzarella, and Parmesan on a hot bowl.
It tastes like Sunday lasagna on a Tuesday. The noodles go straight into the pot. The cheese mix takes one bowl. Garlic bread on the side is not required, but it is correct.
Why this lasagna soup works
- Beef + sausage is the flavor of a real meat sauce. All beef is fine; all sausage is bolder.
- Broken lasagna noodles give you those ruffled edges from the photo.
- Tomato paste first deepens the broth so it does not taste like thin marinara.
- Ricotta on top, not stirred in, stays creamy instead of disappearing.
Ingredients (6 bowls)
Regular lasagna noodles, not no-boil. No-boil sheets can turn gummy in soup. Mafalda (mini lasagna) or campanelle also work if that is what you have.
Soup
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara
- 6 cups chicken or beef broth
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning + 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt + ½ tsp black pepper
- 8 oz lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
- Optional: 2 cups baby spinach, handful of fresh basil
Cheese topping
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Pinch of salt
Watch the pot come together
If you cook by watching, press play. Stop the noodles at al dente — they keep softening in the hot broth.
Video: how to make lasagna soup (YouTube).
How to make easy lasagna soup
1. Brown the meat
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the beef and sausage and cook, breaking it up, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic for 30 seconds. Drain extra fat if the pot is swimming; leave a little for flavor.
2. Build the tomato broth
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute so it darkens. Add crushed tomatoes, marinara, broth, Italian seasoning, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Taste the broth now — it should already taste like lasagna sauce, just soupier.
3. Cook the noodles in the pot
Add the broken noodles. Simmer, stirring often so they do not stick, 10 to 12 minutes, until tender with a little chew. If the soup gets too thick, splash in more broth. Stir in spinach at the end if you want greens.
4. Mix the ricotta topping
While the noodles cook, stir ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, and a pinch of salt. That cold, creamy scoop on a hot bowl is the whole lasagna experience.
5. Bowl it up
Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Dollop a generous scoop of the cheese mix in the center. It will melt at the edges and stay cool in the middle. Extra Parmesan and parsley on top. Serve with garlic bread for dunking.
Make-ahead tip
Noodles keep drinking broth in the fridge. For leftovers, cook the soup base without pasta, refrigerate up to 3 days, and boil the noodles in the soup when you reheat. Or store cooked noodles separately and add them to each bowl.
Easy swaps
All sausage or all beef. Ground turkey with a pinch more Italian seasoning. Cottage cheese instead of ricotta. Vegetarian: skip the meat, use a second jar of marinara, and add white beans. Slow cooker: brown the meat first, then cook everything except noodles on low 4 hours; add noodles for the last 30 minutes.
FAQ
Can I use no-boil lasagna noodles?
Regular noodles are better. No-boil can turn mushy. If that is all you have, add them later and watch closely.
Why is my soup too thick?
The pasta absorbed the broth. Add more stock until it is soupy again.
Can I freeze it?
Freeze the meat-tomato base without noodles. Add fresh pasta when you reheat.
Is this spicy?
A gentle warmth from the sausage and flakes. Skip the flakes for kids.
Recipe card
Easy Lasagna Soup
Yield: 6 bowls · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 25 minutes · Total: 35 minutes
Brown beef and sausage. Simmer tomatoes and broth. Cook broken lasagna noodles in the pot. Top each bowl with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
Nutrition (estimate): about 520 calories per bowl.
Make a pot the next time you want lasagna and refuse the casserole dish. The kitchen will smell like Sunday. The first spoonful — noodle, meat, cold ricotta — is why this recipe stays on weeknight rotation all winter.
Made it? Tell me beef-and-sausage or all sausage, and whether you used lasagna sheets or mafalda.