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Lasagna Soup is what happens when I want all the flavor of a baked lasagna without the hour of assembly and cleanup. Ground beef and Italian sausage simmer into a rich tomato broth loaded with garlic and Italian seasoning, small pasta cooks right in the pot, and every bowl gets a dollop of creamy ricotta on top that melts in as you stir. It’s the same cozy, cheesy flavor in a bowl you can eat with a spoon on a busy night.

Cooking the pasta directly in the tomato broth instead of boiling it separately is what pulls this together. The noodles soak up the broth as they simmer, so by the time they’re tender the soup has thickened into something closer to a stew than a thin soup, and every piece of pasta tastes like the sauce instead of plain starch.

The ricotta topping is the shortcut that makes this taste like real lasagna instead of just beefy tomato soup with noodles in it. I stir a little parmesan and salt into the ricotta while the soup simmers, so it’s ready to dollop the second the bowls are filled.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Real lasagna flavor. Ground beef, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning taste like the layers of a baked lasagna, just spooned instead of sliced.
One pot, less cleanup. The pasta cooks right in the broth, so there’s no separate pot to boil and drain.
A creamy ricotta finish. A dollop of parmesan-ricotta on top melts into every bite as you stir.
Ready in under an hour. It’s faster than a baked lasagna by a long shot, with almost the same payoff.

Lasagna Soup Ingredients

Use a small, sturdy pasta shape like mafalda, small shells, or broken lasagna noodles. Long noodles like spaghetti don’t hold up well stirred into a thick broth and tend to clump.

1 lb ground beef (85/15)
1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
6 cups beef broth
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups small pasta shells or mafalda, uncooked
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
1 cup shredded mozzarella, for serving

Recipe Variations

Skip the sausage and use 1 1/2 lbs ground beef total if that’s what you have on hand.
Swap the ricotta topping for a scoop of shredded mozzarella if you want something meltier and less rich.
Stir in a diced zucchini or bell pepper with the onion for extra vegetables.

How to Make Lasagna Soup

Brown the meat: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage with the onion, breaking it up as it cooks, about 7-8 minutes, until no pink remains. Drain off the excess grease.
Bloom the garlic and paste: Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Build the broth: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Bring to a boil.
Cook the pasta in the pot: Stir in the pasta, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.
Wilt the spinach: Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until wilted.
Mix the ricotta topping: While the soup simmers, stir together the ricotta and parmesan in a small bowl.
Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of the ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of mozzarella.

Recipe FAQs

Can I Use Only Ground Beef Instead of Beef and Sausage?

Yes, use 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef total. The sausage adds a little extra seasoning and fat, but it’s not required.

Why Did My Soup Turn out More Like a Stew?

That’s the pasta doing its job. It soaks up broth as it sits, so leftovers thicken up a lot; stir in extra broth when reheating if you want it thinner.

Can I Make This Ahead of Time?

You can make the broth and meat mixture a day ahead and keep it in the fridge, but add the pasta fresh when you reheat it so it doesn’t turn mushy sitting in the broth overnight. The ricotta topping keeps well in a separate container too.

Does Lasagna Soup Freeze Well?

The broth and meat freeze fine, but the pasta gets soft after thawing. For the best texture, freeze it without the pasta and cook fresh noodles when you reheat.

Can I Double This, and What Goes Well with It?

Yes, just use your biggest pot. Garlic bread is the classic side, and a simple green salad rounds it out.

Cooking Tips

Don’t skip draining the grease after browning the meat, or the broth ends up greasy instead of clean-tasting and rich.
Stir the pot every few minutes while the pasta cooks so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Taste the broth before serving and adjust the salt; canned tomatoes and broth vary a lot in sodium between brands.

Storage and Freezing

To store: Keep the soup and ricotta topping in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To freeze: Freeze the soup base without the pasta for up to 3 months for the best texture; if you freeze it with the pasta already in, expect the noodles to soften more once thawed.

To reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring in a splash of broth if it’s thickened up, or microwave in 1-minute bursts.

How to Serve Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup is great with warm garlic bread for dipping and a simple green salad on the side. This is one of the recipes in our Creamy Pastas & Skillet Dinners collection, and more cozy one-pot dinners like it are on the way.

Loved This Recipe?

Lasagna Soup gives you everything you love about a baked lasagna in one pot and half the time.

Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef 85/15
1/2 lb Italian sausage casings removed
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
6 cups beef broth
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
2 cups small pasta shells or mafalda uncooked
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
1 cup shredded mozzarella for serving

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Brown the meat: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage with the onion, breaking it up as it cooks, about 7-8 minutes, until no pink remains. Drain off the excess grease.
Bloom the garlic and paste: Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Build the broth: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Bring to a boil.
Cook the pasta in the pot: Stir in the pasta, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.
Wilt the spinach: Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until wilted.
Mix the ricotta topping: While the soup simmers, stir together the ricotta and parmesan in a small bowl.
Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of the ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of mozzarella.

Notes

Cook the pasta directly in the tomato broth so it thickens the soup as it soaks up flavor. Brown the beef and sausage to 160°F before draining.