Description
A rich, slow-cooked lasagna soup with tender noodles, savory meat, and creamy ricotta dollops. This hands-off recipe delivers all the cozy flavors of baked lasagna without the fuss.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
- ½ pound lean ground beef (about 225g)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 can (28 ounces / 794g) crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups (960ml) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 8–10 lasagna noodles, broken into 1-inch pieces (no-boil or regular)
- 1 cup (about 245g) full-fat ricotta cheese
- ½ cup fresh mozzarella, shredded or chopped into small cubes
- A handful fresh basil, chopped
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and ground beef; cook, breaking up the meat, until browned (6-8 minutes). Transfer meat to the slow cooker using a slotted spoon, leaving about 1 tablespoon drippings in the pan.
- Add diced onion to the same skillet; cook over medium heat until softened (about 4 minutes). Add minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, crushed fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes (if using); cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour about ½ cup of chicken broth into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker with the meat.
- Add remaining chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and black pepper to the slow cooker. Stir until tomato paste is mostly dissolved.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, remove the bay leaf and stir in broken lasagna noodles. Ensure noodles are submerged. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20-30 minutes until noodles are tender but still al dente.
- While noodles cook, make ricotta dollops: In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese with a pinch of salt, a few cracks of black pepper, and about half of the fresh basil. Stir and set aside.
- Once noodles are tender, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with a generous dollop of ricotta mixture, sprinkle with fresh mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and remaining fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Notes
For meal prep, keep noodles separate and add when reheating to avoid them absorbing too much liquid. If soup is too acidic, stir in a pinch of sugar. For a richer broth, stir in ½ cup heavy cream before adding noodles.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-7 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 30
Keywords: slow cooker lasagna soup, lasagna soup, slow cooker soup, Italian soup, comfort food, ricotta dollops, easy dinner