The most common mistake with lasagna soup is dumping in the noodles and walking away, which turns a bright tomato broth into starchy paste. Cook the pasta separately or at the very end, and you get all the lasagna flavor without the glue.
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This version builds a quick soffritto of onion and garlic in a Dutch oven, browns the sausage for real depth, then simmers crushed tomatoes with a parmesan rind until it tastes like it cooked all day. Broken lasagna noodles go in last so they stay distinct.
A dollop of herbed ricotta and a snow of mozzarella on top is non-negotiable. It is the difference between tomato soup with noodles and something that genuinely reads as lasagna in a bowl.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) Italian sausage, casings removed
Sweet or hot both work; hot sausage gives the broth a pleasant bite. Swap in ground turkey plus 1 teaspoon fennel seed if you want it leaner.
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
Yellow onion melts into the broth; red onion stays too crunchy and sharp here. Frozen diced onion is a fine shortcut if you are short on patience.
4 garlic cloves, minced
Fresh garlic only, please; the jarred stuff tastes flat and metallic. Mince it right before it hits the pot so it does not turn bitter.
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Tube tomato paste beats the can for this recipe because you only need a little. Fry it until it darkens, which is where the deep flavor comes from.
1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
San Marzano-style crushed tomatoes are worth the extra dollar. If you only have diced, pulse them a few times in a blender for a smoother broth.
6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth
Low-sodium matters because the parmesan rind and sausage add plenty of salt. Vegetable broth works for a lighter, meat-free-adjacent version.
1 parmesan rind (about 3 inches)
Ask the cheese counter for rinds; many shops give them away or sell them cheap. Skip it if unavailable, but add an extra pinch of salt and a knob of butter.
8 oz (225 g) lasagna noodles, broken into 1- to 2-inch pieces
Regular or no-boil both work; no-boil pieces hold their shape a bit better. Break them in a bowl so shards do not fly across the kitchen.
1 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Dried basil holds up in a long simmer better than fresh. Fresh basil is better stirred in at the end, so use both if you have them.
1 cup (250 g) whole-milk ricotta
Whole-milk ricotta is creamier; part-skim turns grainy when it hits hot broth. Cottage cheese blended smooth is a solid substitute.
1 1/2 cups (170 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Shred it yourself from a block; pre-shredded is coated in starch and clumps. Provolone is a sharper, stretchier swap.
1/4 cup (25 g) grated parmesan, plus more for serving
Parmigiano-Reggiano is the gold standard, but any aged hard cheese grates fine. Grate it fresh; the powdered shaker stuff is mostly cellulose.
Tips & Tricks
Fry the tomato paste until it darkens
One to two minutes of stirring over medium heat turns it from sharp and tinny into sweet and jammy. Do not skip this or the broth tastes thin.
Season at the end, not the start
The broth reduces and concentrates, so salt after the noodles go in. Salting early is the fastest way to an overseasoned pot.
Do not boil hard once the noodles are in
A gentle simmer keeps the pasta intact. A rolling boil shreds the pieces and clouds the broth.
- Cook the noodles separately if you plan on leftovers: Boil them in salted water, drain, and add to bowls at serving time so they do not drink the broth overnight.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Brown the sausage
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, about 375°F (190°C) on an infrared thermometer, and add the sausage. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the edges are deeply browned. That browning is the backbone of the broth.
2. Soften the aromatics
Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, and cook 4 to 5 minutes until translucent and soft, not browned. Add the garlic and cook 45 seconds until fragrant, just until you can smell it clearly.
3. Bloom the tomato paste
Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and fry 1 to 2 minutes until the paste darkens to brick red and smells sweet rather than sharp. This is the step most people rush and later regret.
4. Build the broth
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, add the dried basil and parmesan rind, and scrape up the browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook 15 minutes, uncovered, until slightly thickened.
5. Add the noodles
Stir in the broken lasagna noodles and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente and the broth coats a spoon. Taste a noodle, not the broth, to judge doneness.
6. Season and finish
Fish out the parmesan rind, taste, and add salt and black pepper as needed. Stir in a splash more broth if it looks thick; it should be loose enough to ladle.
7. Top and broil
Ladle into oven-safe bowls, dollop with ricotta, scatter mozzarella and parmesan, and broil at 500°F (260°C) for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and spotted golden brown. Watch it; broilers go from golden to charcoal fast.
8. Rest and serve
Let the bowls sit 2 minutes so the cheese sets and nobody burns the roof of their mouth. Finish with torn fresh basil and extra parmesan.
Delicious Variations
Spicy Vodka Version
Add 1/4 cup vodka with the tomatoes and let it cook off for 2 minutes, then stir in a splash of cream at the end.
Vegetarian Mushroom
Swap the sausage for 12 oz cremini mushrooms browned hard, plus a teaspoon of soy sauce for meaty depth.
White Lasagna Soup
Skip the crushed tomatoes, use 2 cups whole milk plus the broth, and add a pinch of nutmeg for a creamy, non-red version.
How to Store The BEST Lasagna Soup
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container up to 4 days; the noodles will soften and absorb broth, so add a splash of stock when reheating.
Freezer
Freeze the broth base without noodles or cheese up to 3 months in a freezer bag laid flat. Add fresh noodles when you reheat it.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until steaming but not boiling. Add broth as needed to loosen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make lasagna soup in a slow cooker?
Yes, but brown the sausage, onion, garlic, and tomato paste on the stove first, then transfer everything except the noodles and cheese to the slow cooker. Cook on low 5 to 6 hours, adding cooked noodles and the ricotta topping right before serving.
Q: Why did my lasagna soup turn mushy?
The noodles sat in the hot broth too long, either during cooking or as leftovers. Cook them just to al dente and store any leftovers with the noodles separate from the broth if you can.
Q: Can I use regular pasta instead of lasagna noodles?
Absolutely; broken lasagna noodles are traditional but mafalda, farfalle, or campanelle all work. Use about 8 oz and adjust the simmer time to the package directions, checking a piece early.
Q: How do I make lasagna soup vegetarian?
Swap the sausage for browned mushrooms or a plant-based sausage and use vegetable broth, keeping the parmesan rind only if you eat dairy. The tomato paste and fennel seed do the heavy lifting for flavor.
Q: Is lasagna soup supposed to be thick or brothy?
It should be thick enough to coat a spoon but loose enough to ladle, somewhere between a stew and a soup. If it tightens up, add broth a half cup at a time until it flows.
Make this once and your Dutch oven will be booked every Sunday from here on. Grab the sausage, a parmesan rind, and a block of mozzarella, and let me know how the cheese topping turned out. Measure twice, then measure again.
The BEST Lasagna Soup
The BEST Lasagna Soup delivers saucy, cheesy lasagna flavor in one pot with broken noodles, rich tomato broth, and a creamy ricotta swirl.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 parmesan rind (about 3 inches)
- 8 oz (225 g) lasagna noodles, broken into 1- to 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup (250 g) whole-milk ricotta
- 1 1/2 cups (170 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 1/4 cup (25 g) grated parmesan, plus more for serving
📋 Instructions
- 1Brown the sausage — Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, about 375°F (190°C) on an infrared thermometer, and add the sausage. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the edges are deeply browned. That browning is the backbone of the broth.
- 2Soften the aromatics — Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, and cook 4 to 5 minutes until translucent and soft, not browned. Add the garlic and cook 45 seconds until fragrant, just until you can smell it clearly.
- 3Bloom the tomato paste — Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and fry 1 to 2 minutes until the paste darkens to brick red and smells sweet rather than sharp. This is the step most people rush and later regret.
- 4Build the broth — Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, add the dried basil and parmesan rind, and scrape up the browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook 15 minutes, uncovered, until slightly thickened.
- 5Add the noodles — Stir in the broken lasagna noodles and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente and the broth coats a spoon. Taste a noodle, not the broth, to judge doneness.
- 6Season and finish — Fish out the parmesan rind, taste, and add salt and black pepper as needed. Stir in a splash more broth if it looks thick; it should be loose enough to ladle.
- 7Top and broil — Ladle into oven-safe bowls, dollop with ricotta, scatter mozzarella and parmesan, and broil at 500°F (260°C) for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and spotted golden brown. Watch it; broilers go from golden to charcoal fast.
- 8Rest and serve — Let the bowls sit 2 minutes so the cheese sets and nobody burns the roof of their mouth. Finish with torn fresh basil and extra parmesan.
Covers do-it-yourself home repair and tool maintenance, writing from the perspective of someone who prefers fixing over replacing. His angle is troubleshooting: what to check first, what to leave alone, and when a job is genuinely out of reach. He writes for renters and first-time homeowners alike.
