This easy soup has everything you love about lasagna, all in one bowl, with a fantastic ooey-gooey “cheesy yum” ricotta and mozzarella topping! Italian sausage gives it so much flavor, met with a rich tomato broth. You can make it on the stovetop or in a crockpot. It’s the ORIGINAL lasagna soup recipe to hit the internet, and still the BEST!
THE Lasagna Soup Recipe That Started It All.
I first shared this soup recipe way back in March 2011, before any other lasagna soup recipes appeared on the internet. And over the years I’ve received hundreds of reader’s comments — I hear over and over again that this recipe is their favorite version. Whenever someone asks me to recommend a recipe that’ll please the whole family, I point them straight to this one!
Because, seriously, who doesn’t welcome lasagna’s bold flavors, variety of textures, and big-long-hug kind of comfort?
The “cheesy yum” adds a ton of delicious fun to this recipe. Our family coined this term for the 3-cheese mixture of ricotta, Parm, and mozzarella that gets dolloped into individual bowls of soup. We love how the hot soup broth melts the cheesy yum and offers a creamy, gooey, comforting lasagna-like experience in every spoonful.
Another thing that’s key is that I use Italian sausage because it adds a big boost of savory flavor and incredible texture. I’ve tested this recipe using other proteins, and they just don’t measure up.
And while it’s not a deal-breaker for this soup, I hold a special place in my heart for anyone who uses mafalda pasta — it’s shaped like mini lasagna noodles (adorable!), and I never make lasagna soup without it!
When this soup is on the menu, my family insists on cheesy garlic bread for dipping. And if we invite friends and family to join us, I add a big bowl of Italian chopped salad. Besides a good amount of fresh ingredients, it has slices of salami, provolone, and black olives – and the zippiest Italian vinaigrette that everyone loves!
If we’re lucky enough to leftovers, it’s truly a win-win situation. Because leftover lasagna soup is even more amazing the next day, after the flavors have had extra time to mingle.
“I have been making this lasagna soup since 2011-2012, so for a long time. It is a family favorite for sure! It really is the best lasagna soup!”
Stephanie
Here’s My Simple Method:
I am not a fan of mushy noodles!
So I cook the noodles separately. Otherwise, the noodles keep absorbing the broth as the soup simmers, which makes them overly soft and can cause them to break down.
Plus, any leftover soup reheats much better if noodles are stored separately. Noodles require very little time to reheat, and heating them separately keeps them perfectly tender and chewy.
But if you plan to serve the soup right away and think you’ll eat most of it in that first meal (with little to no leftovers), it works great to cook the noodles right in the hot soup!
Just add the noodles during the simmering time – they should cook in 10 to 15 minutes, but it will depend on the temperature of your soup and the type of pasta you are using.
Whatever you do, do NOT let the soup simmer for a long period of time with the noodles.
Lasagna Soup with Cheesy Yum (stovetop or crockpot)
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1½ pounds bulk Italian sausage
- 1 extra-large yellow onion, chopped (about 3 cups chopped)
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste (add more for even deeper tomato flavor)
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 8 ounces mafalda pasta (fusilli and farfalle are also good options)
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced sliced thinly
Cheesy Yum:
- 8 ounces full-fat ricotta
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (See my mozzarella tip in Notes below)
Instructions
- Soup: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and brown for 3 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Add onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until onion is softened and sausage is browned, about 7 more minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a separate saucepan according to package directions, just to al dente. Do not over-cook. Drain.
- Cheesy Yum: In a medium bowl, create the "cheesy yum" by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Serve: Stir fresh basil into soup right before serving. Then add cooked pasta to individual bowls and ladle soup over the top. Serve with dollops of cheesy yum, plus additional shredded mozzarella, if desired, over the top.
CROCK-POT DIRECTIONS:
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Once hot, add sausage and brown for 3 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon. (*If you have a multi-cooker, set it to BROWN/SAUTE and add the oil. Once hot, add sausage and brown for 3 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon.)
- Add onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until onion is softened and sausage is browned, about 7 more minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Transfer sausage mixture to slow cooker (or just proceed if using a multi-cooker) and add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Cover and set slow cooker to low 8 hours or high 4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before soup is ready, add pasta to slow cooker. Cover and cook until pasta is just al dente, checking after 15 minutes. (If you plan to let the soup sit for awhile before serving or are planning on leftovers, I strongly recommend cooking the pasta separately to avoid mushy noodles.)
Video
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store the soup, cooked pasta, and cheesy yum in separate containers in the refrigerator. Do not combine the soup and pasta together, as the noodles will absorb most of the soup broth and become soft and mushy. I also like to drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta after it has drained, and then fold gently to coat. This helps keep the pasta from sticking together.
- Freezer: This soup freezes very well. Store the soup, pasta, and cheesy yum portions separately in the freezer. Let everything thaw overnight in the refrigerator prior to preparing it for the next meal.
- Microwave: Place desired amount of pasta in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap, leaving one corner slightly open to allow steam to escape. Heat on medium power to prevent overcooking. Heating time will vary depending on the amount of pasta you are reheating, but for 1 to 2 cups of pasta, start with 30 seconds. Give a stir and then microwave in shorter intervals, stirring in-between, until hot.
- Stovetop: Bring some water to a boil in a sauce pan. Be sure to use enough water to sufficiently cover the amount of pasta you are reheating. When the water comes to a full boil, add the leftover pasta and give a good stir. Boil for 30 seconds and then test to see if the noodles are hot. If needed, add time in 15-second intervals, until sufficiently heated. Remember that the pasta has already been cooked, and only needs to be reheated. Do not overcook or it will become mushy. Then drain the noodles.
Quite likely, my most favorite dinner. I adore it. I found gigantic bronze cut Fusilloni, it’s a fantastic recipe. Thank you!
Yay!!! Thank you, Tanisha!
Can this be made with ground beef?
Hello Susan – It definitely can. But the Italian sausage has seasonings in it that give the soup a flavor boost. You might want to play around with adding some more Italian seasonings.
Add a bag of spinach at the end to add more vitamins, minerals and oh so yummy taste!
Awesome suggestion, thank you!
very tasty.
wow amazing
Thats one of the best one thanks for sharing!
I tried this soup – it is really superb and Beautiful photo using and Thank you Sharing this recipe
Congrats on this being a top hit of yours! I have been making this for over a year and it’s a family favorite and has become a famous dish for me to serve when we have guest it family in our home!!
I am so glad you like this soup. May you enjoy many, many bowls!!
This soup is amazing! I cooked the noodles separate as you suggested and it worked out great! Even those not eating gluten could enjoy this soup and those that wanted “a ton” of noodles could have them. A huge hit with the whole family and they have already asked me to make it again.
Wonderful! So glad everyone could partake!!
No matter what the question was, this is the answer. I don’t like cold weather but this soup has me hoping winter will last a little longer! Love it, Brenda!
I love this. Thanks, Jessie!!
hey girl- amazing! yummy!
I love lasagna in any form. And this here is very creative. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve made this recipe so many times, and am finally coming back to leave a comment. My whole family loves this – kids included. We like to make the pasta in a separate pan so that it doesn’t overcook when we re-heat the soup the next day – not that we ever have a whole lot left for leftovers. We make short work of this lasagna soup! Thank you!
Thank you so much for letting me know – I love to hear this! And I hope you enjoy many, many more bowls of this soup. :)
wondering if you had the nutritional value on this at all ?
Whelp, my husband is about to fall in love with me all over again. Lasagna is his all-time favorite food. He is going to lip this lid when I present his favorite flavors in soup form! I can’t wait to surprise him and make this recipe!!! Awesome job :)
thank you
thank you.
I made this soup tonight for dinner and let me tell you… it is amazing!! The only thing I changed was the amount of onion (my boyfriend is not a big fan of onion) so I used 1 medium sized sweet onion instead of the 3 cups the recipe calls for and it was perfect! Very filling and there’s plenty leftover! Would highly suggest!!
Wonderful! So glad you liked this!
Sounds yummy. Can you freeze this? If so suggestions?
Yes, this is freezable. I would not include the pasta, though. Cook up the pasta when you’re ready to eat the soup, or cook the pasta and freeze it in its own container. Otherwise the pasta absorbs the liquid in the soup and gets mushy.
I made this with my Instant Pot. I browned the Italian sausage on “Sauté” and added the onions, garlic and tomato paste until tomato paste is browned a little. I added the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaves and oregano and put the Instant Pot on “Soup” for 15 minutes. Do a quick release pressure and add the pasta and put on “Soup” for 5 minutes. When done, do a Quick release pressure. When done, open lid and add basil and salt and pepper to taste. In a bowl mix up the ricotta cheese, the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Place a spoonful of this mixture on bottom of soup bowl, spoon soup on top and add some grated mozzarella cheese on top. Serve.
Wonderful!!!
My husband love this soup! me too :D
My husband loves Italian food and this is a wonderful recipe! Thank you for sharing!