Lasagna Soup

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This easy Lasagna Soup recipe has everything you love about lasagna in one bowl! It’s the original and BEST lasagna soup! The ultimate comfort food with a fantastic ooey-gooey cheesy yum!

What is Lasagna Soup?

So many people love the classic flavors of lasagna. With layers of pasta, red sauce, and cheese, that’s easy enough to understand.

Well this recipe cleverly includes the same ingredients as that beloved dish…in a bowl!

Dollops of a creamy mixture of cheeses, or “cheesy yum” as I like to call it, are added to a flavorful soup of pasta, Italian sausage, and a rich and herby tomato-based broth. The hot soup melts the cheesy yum, giving you a fantastic lasagna-like experience with every spoonful.

Olive oil, sausage, onion, garlic, pasta and other ingredients.

Lasagna Soup Ingredients

This soup has simple ingredients. I’m betting that you already have most of them in your pantry and refrigerator:

  • olive oil
  • Italian sausage – this adds heartiness and incredible flavor
  • yellow onion
  • garlic
  • dried herbs & spices – oregano, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes
  • canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste – for rich tomato flavor
  • low-sodium chicken stock
  • dried pasta – I recommend mafalda pasta, see below for more info
  • seasoning – salt and pepper
  • fresh basil
  • cheeses – ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella

A bowl of mafalda pasta

What Kind of Pasta Should I Use for Lasagna Soup?

You can use whatever noodles you like for this recipe, but I highly recommend mafalda pasta. It’s shaped like miniature lasagna noodles – I just can’t resist them when making this soup! Our grocery store carries Creamette brand mafalda. You know – the pasta brand in the green box! 🙂

How to Make Lasagna Soup

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  • Add sausage and brown for 3 minutes, breaking it up into bite-sized 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 minutes more.
  • Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Cook pasta to al dente, while soup is simmering. Drain pasta. (If you want to cook the pasta right in the soup, please read the sections, “Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?” and “How to Store Lasagna Soup”.)
  • Stir in fresh basil right before serving.
  • Combine ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl, to create the “cheesy yum.”
  • Serve: Add cooked pasta to individual bowls and ladle soup over the top. Serve with dollops of cheesy yum plus additional shredded mozzarella.

More Ways to Make Lasagna Soup

I’m often asked whether you can make this recipe in a crock pot or Instant Pot. The answer is yes! Here is how you would do it:

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

This Crock-Pot method allows you to mostly prepare the soup and then walk away for up to eight hours while it cooks nice and slow. While the stovetop method only takes 45 minutes from start to finish, a slow cooker can be utilized to accommodate a variety of schedules.

To cook this soup in a slow cooker, you’ll use the very same ingredients and quantities.

Here’s the instructions for the Crockpot:

  • Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high 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 minutes more.
  • Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Transfer mixture to slow cooker and stir in diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Cover and set slow cooker to low 8 hours or high 4 hours.
  • Combine ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a bowl, to create the “cheesy yum.” Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve the soup.
  • Cook pasta on the stovetop during the final 30 minutes of slow cooker time, just to al dente. Drain pasta. (If you want to cook the pasta right in the slow cooker, stir it into the soup during the final 30 minutes. But please first read the sections, “Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?” and “How to Store Lasagna Soup”.)
  • Stir in fresh basil and then serve: Add soup to individual bowls with dollops of cheesy yum plus additional shredded mozzarella.

Ingredients

for the soup:

    • 2 tsp. olive oil
    • 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
    • 1 extra-large yellow onion chopped (about 3 c. chopped)
    • 4 large garlic cloves minced
    • 2 tsp. dried oregano
    • ½ tsp. kosher salt
    • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
    • ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
    • 3 T. tomato paste add more for even deeper tomato flavor
    • 2 14.5-oz. cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 6 c. low-sodium chicken stock
  • 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
  • ½ c. fresh basil leaves sliced thinly

for the cheesy yum:

  • 8 oz. ricotta
  • ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

additional cheesy yum:

  • 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese If you can find shredded whole milk mozzarella, use that!

Instructions

Stovetop Directions:

    • 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, prepare pasta in a separate saucepan according to package directions, to el dente. Do not over cook. Drain.
    • In a medium bowl, create the “cheesy yum” by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
    • Stir fresh basil into soup right before serving.
  • To serve, add cooked pasta to individual bowls and ladle soup over the top. Serve with dollops of cheesy yum and additional shredded mozzarella.

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.
  • In a medium bowl, create the “cheesy yum” by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to eat.
  • 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. Read section in post titled “Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?” for more info.)
  • Stir fresh basil into soup right before serving.
  • To serve, add soup to individual bowls with dollops of cheesy yum plus additional shredded mozzarella.

Instant Pot Directions:

    • (Note: Instant Pot says “do not fill the inner pot more than 2/3 full”, so you will need one that is a 6-quart size or larger. I use this 6-quart Instant Pot, and find it to be a great size for our family’s meals.) Press SAUTE on the Instant Pot and add oil. Once hot, add sausage and onion and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon.
    • Stir in garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until onion is softened and sausage is browned, about 3 more minutes.
    • Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more. Scrape bottom of pot very well.
    • Press CANCEL to turn Instant Pot off. Stir in diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock.
    • Press SOUP and cook for 15 minutes on this setting.
    • Meanwhile, create the “cheesy yum” by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
    • Press CANCEL and quick release pressure.
  • Add mafalda or fusilli pasta, submerging it below the soup broth.
  • Press SOUP and cook for 8 minutes more for al dente mafalda or fusilli pasta. Thicker pastas will take a bit more time to cook. (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. Read section in post titled “Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?” for more info.)
  • Press CANCEL and then quick release pressure.
  • Stir in fresh basil and then serve. Add soup to individual bowls with dollops of cheesy yum plus additional shredded mozzarella.
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