This incredible lasagna soup tastes exactly like a really good lasagna but is a very rich, very meaty tomato soup with tender noodles and ricotta cheese. The little bit of extra work you’ll do — precooking the noodles, then toasting them with butter in the oven — is absolutely worth the time and effort and makes this soup taste phenomenal!
Real Lasagna Soup
This incredible lasagna soup tastes exactly like a really good lasagna but is a very rich, very meaty tomato soup with tender noodles and ricotta cheese. The little bit of extra work you'll do — precooking the noodles, then toasting them with butter in the oven — is absolutely worth the time and effort and makes this soup taste phenomenal!
Ingredients
Noodles:
- 8 ounces dry lasagna noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
Soup Base:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 6 ounces bulk Italian sausage or 1 Italian sausage links, casing removed
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- 24 ounce jar prepared marinara sauce or 3 cups homemade marinara sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Cheese Mixture:
- 12 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup torn fresh basil and Italian parsley leaves optional
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in lasagna noodles and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just flexible, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer noodles into cold water until cooled; drain very well.
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and grease parchment with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Cut noodles in half lengthwise. Arrange noodles in evenly overlapping rows on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with melted butter, and use fingers to rub some butter between the noodles.
- Bake noodles in the preheated oven until they are golden, blistered, and are beginning to brown with crispy outside edges. Let cool; cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a soup pot, and place over high heat. Add beef and sausage. Use a spatula to break up the meat into small pieces; cook without stirring until liquid evaporates and meat begins to sizzle in its own fat, then continue to cook and stir until meat begins to brown, about 7 minutes.
- Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, black pepper, and kosher salt. Cook and stir until onions begin to turn translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, and water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Stir ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese together in a bowl; set aside.
- Increase the heat under soup to medium high; stir in noodle pieces. Cook, stirring, until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and stir in the 2 tablespoons Italian parsley.
- Serve in bowls with a scoop of cheese mixture, and sprinkle with freshly torn basil and Italian parsley if desired.
