Lasagna soup gives you everything that makes a pan of lasagna so comforting—seasoned ground beef, tomato sauce, tender pasta, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan—but turns it into a warm, hearty one-pot dinner.

Instead of layering noodles, sauce, meat, and cheese into a baking dish, everything comes together in a big pot of rich tomato broth. Broken lasagna noodles cook until tender, the beef gives the soup plenty of savory flavor, and a spoonful of creamy ricotta mixture melts into each hot bowl.

It tastes unmistakably like lasagna, but it is much easier to put together on a busy night.

The most important part is getting the consistency right. Lasagna soup should not be watery like a thin tomato broth, but it should not become so thick that it feels like regular lasagna served in a bowl. The tomato base needs enough broth for the noodles to cook while still staying rich enough to cling to every bite.

And then there is the cheese.

Rather than stirring all the ricotta directly into the pot, I prefer adding a creamy ricotta-Parmesan-mozzarella mixture to each bowl. The hot soup slowly softens it, giving you creamy pockets of cheese without turning the entire pot pale or heavy.

If you are looking for an easy fall dinner, a cold-weather meal, or simply another satisfying ground beef recipe for dinner, this is one worth keeping.

What Is Lasagna Soup?

Lasagna soup is essentially a deconstructed version of classic lasagna.

The familiar ingredients are still there:

• seasoned ground beef
• onion and garlic
• tomato paste
• crushed and diced tomatoes
• Italian herbs
• lasagna noodles
• ricotta cheese
• mozzarella
• Parmesan

The difference is in how everything is cooked.

Instead of assembling several layers and baking them, the beef and tomato base simmers together in one pot. Lasagna noodles are broken into smaller pieces and cooked directly in the soup.

Each bowl is then finished with cheese.

That makes this an especially useful recipe when you are craving lasagna but do not want the extra assembly and baking time.

If you enjoy hearty tomato-based soups made with ground beef, my Stuffed Pepper Soup has a similar cozy, one-pot feel with bell peppers and rice instead of pasta.

Lasagna Soup Ingredients

For the soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound (454 g) lean ground beef, preferably 85/15 or 90/10
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can (28 ounces / 794 g) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 ounces / 411 g) diced tomatoes, with juices
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) low-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces (227 g) dry lasagna noodles, broken into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional, only if the tomatoes taste particularly acidic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil, optional

For the ricotta cheese topping

• 1 cup (245 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• ½ cup (55 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

For serving

• Extra shredded mozzarella
• Freshly grated Parmesan
• Fresh basil or parsley
• Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Ingredient Notes That Actually Matter

Ground beef

Lean ground beef works especially well here because it gives the broth plenty of savory flavor without leaving a heavy layer of grease on top.

An 85/15 blend gives a little more richness, while 90/10 keeps things lighter.

If you use fattier ground beef, brown it well and drain most of the excess fat before adding the tomato paste.

You can also replace about half the beef with mild Italian sausage if you want a stronger Italian-style flavor.

Tomato paste

Do not simply stir tomato paste into the liquid and immediately move on.

Cook it with the beef, onion, and garlic for about a minute.

That short cooking time deepens its flavor and removes some of the raw tomato taste.

Crushed and diced tomatoes

Using both gives the soup a better texture.

Crushed tomatoes create the thick tomato base, while diced tomatoes give you small pieces of tomato throughout the broth.

If you prefer a smoother soup, you can substitute another can of crushed tomatoes for the diced tomatoes.

Beef broth

Beef broth works especially well with ground beef and gives the soup deeper flavor than water.

Low-sodium broth is useful because Parmesan, mozzarella, canned tomatoes, and broth can all contribute salt. It is much easier to add additional salt at the end than to fix an overly salty pot.

Lasagna noodles

Regular dried lasagna noodles are perfect.

Break them into roughly 1½- to 2-inch pieces before adding them.

They do not need to look identical. In fact, those irregular noodle pieces make homemade lasagna soup look exactly the way it should.

Avoid smashing them into tiny fragments. You still want recognizable pieces of lasagna noodle in each spoonful.

Ricotta cheese

Whole-milk ricotta gives the richest, creamiest result.

Instead of stirring it into the entire soup, combine it with mozzarella and Parmesan and spoon it into individual bowls.

The cheese begins melting as soon as the hot soup hits it.

This is also a useful way to control the richness. Someone who loves ricotta can add a big spoonful, while someone who prefers more tomato flavor can use less.

How to Make Lasagna Soup

STEP ONE: Brown the ground beef

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat.

Add the ground beef.

Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it into bite-size crumbles as it browns.

Try not to stir constantly. Giving the beef a little contact time with the hot pot helps it develop better color and deeper flavor.

If there is a large amount of fat in the pot, carefully drain most of it, leaving a small amount behind for flavor.

STEP TWO: Cook the onion

Add the diced onion to the browned beef.

Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and become slightly translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds.

Garlic burns quickly, so once it becomes fragrant, move on to the next step.

STEP THREE: Cook the tomato paste

Add the tomato paste.

Stir it into the beef and onions and cook for about 1 minute.

The paste should darken slightly and begin coating the bottom of the pot.

This little step gives the soup considerably more depth than simply mixing tomato paste into the broth.

STEP FOUR: Build the tomato broth

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth.

Add:

• Worcestershire sauce
• Italian seasoning
• dried basil
• dried oregano
• red pepper flakes, if using
• salt
• black pepper

Stir everything together, scraping along the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits left from the beef and tomato paste.

Those browned bits carry plenty of flavor.

STEP FIVE: Simmer

Bring the soup to a gentle boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.

This gives the tomato base time to develop before the pasta goes in.

Taste the broth.

If your tomatoes are unusually sharp or acidic, add up to 1 teaspoon of sugar. Do not add it automatically—the soup may not need it at all.

STEP SIX: Add the lasagna noodles

Break the dry lasagna sheets into bite-size pieces.

Add them directly to the simmering soup.

Cook according to the package timing, usually around 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so the pasta does not stick together or settle on the bottom.

Keep the soup at a steady simmer rather than a violent boil.

The noodles will absorb some broth as they cook, so the soup will naturally become thicker.

PRO TIP

Stop cooking when the noodles are just tender.

Pasta continues absorbing liquid while it sits in hot soup. Overcooking it now can leave you with very soft noodles later.

If the soup becomes thicker than you like, simply add another ½ to 1 cup of warm beef broth.

STEP SEVEN: Make the ricotta mixture

While the noodles cook, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Stir just until combined.

There is no need to whip it completely smooth. A slightly rustic texture works well here.

STEP EIGHT: Finish the soup

Once the noodles are tender, taste the broth again.

Adjust the salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning as needed.

Stir in fresh parsley or basil if using.

Remove the pot from the heat.

STEP NINE: Build each bowl

Place a generous spoonful of the ricotta mixture in the bottom or center of each bowl.

Ladle the hot lasagna soup around and over it.

Top with additional mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh basil.

As you eat, gently stir some of the ricotta through the hot broth.

You get a little creamy cheese, tomato broth, beef, and tender lasagna noodle in every spoonful.

The Secret to Really Good Lasagna Soup

The biggest mistake with lasagna soup is treating it like tomato soup with noodles thrown into it.

The best version needs layers of flavor even though there are no physical lasagna layers.

Browning the beef adds the first layer.

Cooking the onion and garlic in the beef drippings adds another.

Cooking the tomato paste concentrates the tomato flavor.

Simmering the tomato mixture before adding pasta prevents the whole soup from tasting like canned tomatoes and broth.

Finally, the ricotta mixture adds the creamy cheese flavor you expect from lasagna without overwhelming the tomato base.

Those small steps are what make it taste like lasagna rather than ordinary pasta soup.

How Thick Should Lasagna Soup Be?

This is important because lasagna soup thickens quickly.

Right when it finishes cooking, it should look slightly looser than you think you want.

Why?

The pasta continues absorbing broth after you turn off the heat.

Give it ten minutes and the consistency will already be noticeably thicker.

If you plan to serve the soup immediately, six cups of broth should usually be enough.

If it will sit on the stove for a while before dinner, keep an extra cup or two of broth nearby and loosen the soup just before serving.

You want plenty of tomato broth surrounding the noodles—not a pot of pasta with almost no liquid left.

How to Keep the Noodles From Getting Mushy

If you know the entire pot will be eaten the same evening, cooking the lasagna noodles directly in the soup is easiest and gives the broth great flavor.

For meal prep or leftovers, however, there is a better option.

Cook the lasagna noodles separately until just al dente.

Drain them and toss with a very small amount of olive oil.

Store the noodles separately from the soup base.

When serving, put noodles into the bowl and ladle hot soup over them.

That method prevents the noodles from continuing to absorb broth overnight.

It also prevents tomorrow’s lasagna soup from turning into something closer to a pasta casserole.

Easy Lasagna Soup Variations

Italian sausage lasagna soup

Replace half of the ground beef with 8 ounces of mild or hot Italian sausage.

Brown the sausage together with the beef.

Because sausage is already seasoned, taste the finished soup before adding extra salt.

Extra-cheesy lasagna soup

Add extra mozzarella to each bowl while the soup is piping hot.

It melts into long cheesy strands without thickening the entire pot.

Vegetable lasagna soup

Add sliced mushrooms with the onions.

Zucchini can be added during the last several minutes of simmering, while fresh spinach can be stirred into the soup right before serving.

Avoid adding too many watery vegetables, or the tomato flavor can become diluted.

Spicy lasagna soup

Increase the red pepper flakes to ½ teaspoon or use hot Italian sausage.

It should still taste like lasagna first, rather than becoming overwhelmingly spicy.

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

Lasagna soup can also be adapted for the slow cooker, which is useful if you are specifically looking for a lasagna soup crockpot recipe.

The important part is not putting the noodles in too early.

Pasta left in a slow cooker for several hours will become extremely soft.

To make crockpot lasagna soup:

Brown the ground beef in a skillet with the onion.

Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook briefly.

Transfer everything to the slow cooker.

Add:

• crushed tomatoes
• diced tomatoes
• beef broth
• Worcestershire sauce
• Italian seasoning
• basil
• oregano
• salt
• black pepper
• red pepper flakes

Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2½ to 3½ hours.

About 25 to 35 minutes before serving, break the lasagna noodles into pieces and stir them into the slow cooker.

Continue cooking until the pasta is just tender.

Slow cookers vary considerably in temperature, so begin checking the noodles early.

For the most reliable texture, you can also boil the noodles separately and stir them into each bowl.

Add the ricotta mixture only when serving.

This gives you the convenience people want from crockpot lasagna while keeping the pasta from becoming mushy.

What to Serve With Lasagna Soup

This soup is hearty enough to be dinner on its own, but bread makes a particularly good side because it gives you something to drag through the tomato broth.

A rustic loaf such as my 3 Ingredient Italian No Knead Bread works especially well here. Tear off a piece while it is still slightly warm and use it to catch the tomato, Parmesan, and ricotta left at the bottom of the bowl.

A simple green salad is another good choice.

Try lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and a light Italian vinaigrette. The freshness balances the richer beef and cheese.

And if cold weather has you looking through more soup recipes, my French Onion Soup is another good option for a cozy dinner.

Make-Ahead Instructions

The soup base can be prepared ahead very easily.

Follow the recipe through the simmering step, but do not add the noodles.

Cool the tomato and beef mixture and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Keep the ricotta mixture separately refrigerated.

When you are ready to eat, bring the soup base back to a simmer, add the lasagna noodles, and cook until tender.

This is much better than fully cooking the pasta several days ahead because the noodles stay firmer and the soup retains more broth.

How to Store Lasagna Soup

Allow leftovers to cool before transferring them to airtight containers.

Refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.

If the pasta has already been mixed into the soup, expect the broth to thicken considerably in the refrigerator.

That is normal.

Add a splash of beef broth or water while reheating until the consistency returns to the way you like it.

Best storage method

For the best leftover texture, keep three components separate:

1. tomato and beef soup base
2. cooked lasagna noodles
3. ricotta cheese mixture

Combine them only when reheating individual servings.

It takes slightly more storage space, but the texture on day two and day three is much better.

Can You Freeze Lasagna Soup?

Yes, but freeze the soup without the pasta or ricotta mixture whenever possible.

Cooked pasta can become too soft once frozen, thawed, and reheated.

Let the beef and tomato soup base cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers.

Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook fresh broken lasagna noodles directly in the reheated broth, or prepare the noodles separately.

Make a fresh ricotta mixture while the soup reheats.

How to Reheat It

Stovetop

Place the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

Add a little broth or water because the noodles will probably have absorbed some of the liquid.

Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot.

Microwave

Place one serving in a microwave-safe bowl.

Add a tablespoon or two of broth or water.

Cover loosely and microwave in short intervals, stirring between each one, until thoroughly heated.

Add fresh ricotta mixture after reheating rather than microwaving it for a long time.

Common Lasagna Soup Problems

My soup became too thick

The noodles absorbed too much liquid.

Add warm beef broth in ¼- to ½-cup increments until the soup loosens.

This is especially common with leftovers and does not mean anything went wrong.

My soup is too thin

Let it simmer uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Remember that it will continue thickening as it cools.

Avoid adding extra tomato paste at the end because it can give the finished soup an uncooked tomato flavor.

My noodles are mushy

They were probably cooked too long or sat in the broth too long after cooking.

For future batches, cook them only until just tender or prepare them separately.

My soup tastes too acidic

First, make sure the tomato base has simmered long enough.

Then taste again.

If it is still sharp, add ½ teaspoon sugar, stir, and taste before adding the remaining ½ teaspoon.

A spoonful of ricotta in the bowl also naturally softens the tomato acidity.

My soup tastes flat

It may simply need salt.

Tomato-heavy recipes often taste dull when underseasoned.

A little Parmesan can also add savory depth.

Lasagna Soup FAQs

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?

Yes. Ground turkey works, although the broth will have a slightly lighter flavor.

Because turkey is leaner, use the tablespoon of olive oil when browning it.

Can I use marinara sauce?

Yes, but check the seasoning first.

Prepared marinara already contains salt, herbs, and sometimes sugar. If you substitute marinara for some of the tomatoes, reduce the added seasoning until you taste the soup.

Do I have to use ricotta?

No.

Cottage cheese can be used in place of ricotta if you prefer its texture or already have it in the refrigerator.

You can also skip it and simply finish the soup with mozzarella and Parmesan, though ricotta gives the bowl the most recognizable lasagna flavor.

Can I use mafaldine instead of lasagna noodles?

Absolutely.

Mafaldine or mafalda pasta has ruffled edges similar to lasagna sheets and works beautifully in lasagna soup.

Use the package cooking time as your guide.

Can I use oven-ready lasagna noodles?

Yes.

Break them into pieces and begin checking them earlier because some oven-ready noodles soften faster than traditional dried lasagna sheets.

Is lasagna soup a one-pot dinner?

It can be.

The main recipe cooks the ground beef, tomato broth, and noodles in the same pot.

The only separate preparation is stirring together the ricotta topping in a small bowl.

What is the best cheese for lasagna soup?

A combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan gives you the closest flavor to traditional lasagna.

Ricotta provides creaminess, mozzarella gives you the melt, and Parmesan adds saltiness and savory depth.

More About the Ricotta Topping

If you have been looking for practical ricotta cheese recipes, this topping is one of the easiest ways to use an opened container of ricotta.

The proportions are intentionally simple:

4 parts ricotta + 2 parts mozzarella + 1 part Parmesan.

That gives you enough ricotta to stay creamy, enough mozzarella to melt, and enough Parmesan to add flavor without becoming too salty.

Do not add an egg.

Egg works in baked lasagna because the cheese filling needs structure when sliced. Lasagna soup does not need that structure, so the topping should remain soft and creamy.

Why This Works So Well as a Fall or Winter Dinner

A bowl of lasagna soup sits right between pasta night and soup night.

It is substantial enough to satisfy when you want a full dinner, but you still get that warm tomato broth that makes soups and stews especially appealing when the weather cools down.

The ingredients are also easy to keep around.

Ground beef can be frozen, dried pasta stays in the pantry, canned tomatoes last for months, and the three cheeses are all common enough to use in plenty of other meals.

That makes this a useful recipe to keep in your regular rotation rather than one that requires a special grocery trip every time.