← Back to Cajun Cooking

Lasagna Soup

Everything you love about a homemade Italian lasagna — rich, slow-simmered meat sauce, tender pasta, melted mozzarella, creamy ricotta, and Parmesan — transformed into a hearty, restaurant-quality soup.

The secret is developing a deeply flavorful tomato and meat broth, using plenty of Italian sausage, and finishing each bowl with a generous scoop of seasoned three-cheese ricotta. Every spoonful should taste like a bite of homemade lasagna.

Yield: 8 generous servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45–55 minutes

Total time: About 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Meat & Aromatics

• 1 lb mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 or 85/15 recommended)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil, only if needed
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 5–6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup dry red wine (optional, for added depth)

Tomato Broth

• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano-style
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional, but highly recommended)
• 1 tsp sugar, only if needed to balance tomato acidity
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Pasta

• 10–12 regular lasagna noodles, broken into bite-size pieces
• Salt, for pasta water

Creamy Finish

• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Three-Cheese Ricotta Topping

• 1½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese, divided
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley
• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• Pinch of salt

Garnish

• Additional freshly grated Parmesan
• Fresh basil, torn or chopped
• Additional mozzarella, if desired
• Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Directions

1. Brown the Meats.

   Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat.

   Add the Italian sausage and ground beef. Break the meat into bite-size crumbles and cook for 8–10 minutes, allowing it to develop a deep brown crust in places.

   Avoid stirring constantly. Letting the meat brown against the bottom of the pot creates a richer, more flavorful soup.

   Drain excess grease, leaving approximately 1–2 tablespoons in the pot.

2. Build the Aromatic Base.

   Reduce heat to medium.

   Add the diced onion directly to the browned meat and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

   Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30–45 seconds, until fragrant.

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, allowing it to darken slightly and caramelize against the bottom of the pot.

   Optional: Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce.

3. Develop the Tomato Broth.

   Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, and beef broth.

   Stir in the Italian seasoning, dried basil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf.

   Add the Parmesan rind, if using.

   Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.

   Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

   This allows the tomatoes to mellow, the sausage to season the broth, and the flavors to develop into a rich, homemade lasagna-style sauce.

   Taste the broth. Add salt and black pepper as needed. If the tomatoes taste overly acidic, stir in up to 1 teaspoon sugar.

4. Prepare the Lasagna Noodles.

   For the best results, cook the pasta separately.

   Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

   Break the lasagna noodles into pieces approximately 1½–2 inches wide.

   Boil according to package directions until just al dente, usually 9–12 minutes for regular dried lasagna noodles.

   Drain and set aside.

   Why cook separately? Lasagna noodles continue absorbing liquid after cooking. When left in the soup overnight, they can become overly soft and soak up much of that delicious broth.

   Keeping the pasta separate means your leftovers will taste nearly as good as the first bowl. It also allows everyone to add as much pasta as they prefer.

5. Prepare the Three-Cheese Ricotta Topping.

   In a medium mixing bowl, combine:

   1½ cups whole-milk ricotta

   ½ cup shredded mozzarella

   ½ cup grated Parmesan

   1 tablespoon fresh basil or parsley

   ¼ teaspoon black pepper

   Pinch of salt

   Mix until creamy and well combined.

   Reserve the remaining ½ cup mozzarella for serving.

   Refrigerate the cheese mixture until ready to serve.

6. Finish the Soup.

   Remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind from the soup.

   Reduce heat to low.

   Slowly stir in the heavy cream and remaining ¼ cup grated Parmesan.

   Let the soup warm gently for another 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

   Do not bring it to a hard boil after adding the cream and cheese.

   Taste one final time and adjust the seasoning as needed.

   The finished soup should be rich, tomato-forward, meaty, and slightly creamy without becoming overly thick.

   If it is thicker than desired, stir in a little additional warm chicken broth.

7. Assemble & Serve.

   Place a generous portion of cooked lasagna noodles into each soup bowl.

   Ladle the hot meat and tomato broth over the pasta.

   Sprinkle with a little reserved mozzarella.

   Top each bowl with a generous scoop of the three-cheese ricotta mixture.

   Finish with freshly grated Parmesan, torn basil, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

   Let the ricotta warm and soften against the hot soup, then stir it into the broth as you eat.

Luquette Kitchen Notes

• Italian Sausage Makes the Difference: A combination of Italian sausage and ground beef gives this soup the right balance of seasoning, richness, and traditional lasagna flavor. Mild sausage is excellent, but hot Italian sausage adds another layer of flavor.
• The Parmesan Rind Secret: Simmering a Parmesan rind in the broth adds savory depth and a subtle aged-cheese flavor without making the soup heavy. Remove it before serving.
• Why Use Two Broths? Chicken broth keeps the tomato and Italian herb flavors bright, while beef broth provides the deeper richness you expect from a homemade meat sauce.
• Don’t Melt All the Cheese Into the Pot: Keeping the ricotta and most of the mozzarella as a topping creates the creamy, cheesy experience of traditional lasagna. It also prevents the broth from becoming stringy or grainy.
• Make-Ahead & Leftovers: Store the soup, cooked pasta, and ricotta topping in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat the soup gently, add the noodles to individual bowls, and finish with the cheese mixture. Freeze the soup base without the cream, pasta, or cheese topping for the best texture.
• One-Pot Option: If serving the entire batch immediately, add the broken uncooked noodles directly to the simmering broth during the final 12–15 minutes, stirring frequently and adding additional broth if necessary. Finish with cream and Parmesan once the pasta is tender.

From the Luquette Kitchen.