Easy One-Pot Lasagna Soup with Italian Sausage, Ricotta & Mozzarella

This easy lasagna  soup takes everything people love about a classic baked lasagna — the savory Italian sausage, the rich tomato sauce, the noodles with their chewy edges, and that creamy trio of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan — and turns it into a one-pot meal that is on the table in under an hour. Instead of layering noodles and cheese and waiting through a long bake, broken lasagna noodles simmer directly in a seasoned tomato-herb broth until they are tender, and each bowl gets finished with a generous dollop of ricotta, a tangle of melted mozzarella, and fresh basil.

This is the kind of dinner that earns a permanent spot in the weeknight rotation, especially when the weather turns cold or when a holiday table needs one more cozy, crowd-pleasing dish. If your crew loves a cheesy soup night, our broccoli cheddar soup is the other bowl to put on rotation. The base comes together with pantry staples: a can of crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, and dried Italian seasoning. The sausage does the heavy lifting on flavor, browning into deeply savory crumbles that make the broth taste like it simmered all afternoon. And because the noodles cook right in the pot, they soak up the seasoned broth as they soften, which means every bite tastes like lasagna rather than like plain pasta in tomato soup. And for a pasta night with a completely different mood, our creamy sun-dried tomato pasta is the silky, tangy one to bookmark.

The recipe below is written to be dependable in a real home kitchen. You will find clear visual cues for each stage — how the sausage should look before you move on, when the broth is ready for the noodles, and exactly how to tell the noodles are al dente in the soup — plus tips for keeping leftovers from turning mushy and easy variations for ground beef, turkey, or a slow-cooker start. One pot, six hearty bowls, and no layering required.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
• 1 pound (450 g) Italian sausage, casings removed (mild or hot)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups / 150 g)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste
• 1 can (28 ounces / 794 g) crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth (or beef broth)
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 lasagna noodles (8 ounces / 225 g), broken into 1- to 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup (245 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 1/2 cups (170 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella, divided
• 1/3 cup (30 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Fresh basil leaves, torn, for serving

A note on the key ingredients

Italian sausage is the flavor backbone of this soup, so it is worth using a good one. Mild Italian sausage gives you the classic sweet-fennel seasoning; hot Italian sausage adds a pleasant background warmth. Either bulk sausage or links with the casings removed will work — just break the meat into small crumbles as it browns.

Lasagna noodles should be broken into rough 1- to 2-inch pieces before they go into the pot. Regular (not no-boil) lasagna noodles give the best texture here because they hold their shape through a 15- to 20-minute simmer. Wrap the dry noodles in a clean kitchen towel and press down to break them — it keeps the shards contained and the pieces more even.

Whole-milk ricotta makes the creamiest dollops. Low-fat ricotta works, but it is grainier and less rich when it melts into the hot soup. For the mozzarella, shredding a block of low-moisture mozzarella yourself melts more smoothly than pre-shredded, which is coated with anti-caking starch.

Instructions

1. 1. Brown the sausage. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the Italian sausage and break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is well browned with crisped edges and no pink remains. If the sausage released a lot of fat, spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon so the soup does not turn greasy.
   2. Soften the onion and bloom the aromatics. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until softened and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, until it darkens to a deep brick red. This short cooking step caramelizes the paste and deepens the tomato flavor of the whole soup.
   3. Build the broth. Pour in the chicken broth and the crushed tomatoes, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Stir in the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes so the flavors begin to marry.

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1. Add the noodles. Stir the broken lasagna noodle pieces into the simmering soup, making sure they are submerged. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the noodles do not stick to the bottom, until the noodles are al dente — tender with a slight bite in the center — and the soup has thickened slightly. The noodles will continue to soften a little off the heat, so pull the pot off just as they reach al dente.
2. Melt in the mozzarella. Reduce the heat to low and stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella until it melts into the broth, giving the soup a lightly creamy body. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
3. Serve with the cheese trio. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a generous dollop of ricotta, a pinch of the remaining shredded mozzarella, a shower of grated Parmesan, and torn fresh basil. Serve immediately while the cheese is melting into the soup.

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Variations

• Ground beef or turkey. Replace the sausage with 1 pound of ground beef (80/20) or ground turkey. Because plain ground meat lacks the sausage’s seasoning, add 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds and an extra 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning with the aromatics.
• Extra heat. Use hot Italian sausage and keep the red pepper flakes, or add a diced jalapeño with the onion for a spicier bowl.
• Creamy version. Stir in 1/2 cup of heavy cream with the mozzarella in step 5 for a richer, silkier broth.
• Spinach boost. Stir in 3 cups of fresh baby spinach at the very end and let it wilt for 1 to 2 minutes before serving. It adds color and a serving of greens without changing the lasagna character.
• Slow cooker method. Brown the sausage and soften the onion on the stovetop, then transfer everything except the noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil to a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Stir in the broken noodles, cover, and cook on HIGH for 25 to 35 minutes more, until the noodles are al dente. Finish with the cheeses as written.
• Vegetarian. Skip the sausage and use vegetable broth. Sauté 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the onion until deeply browned, and add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika with the Italian seasoning for savory depth.

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Storage

Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Note that the noodles will continue to absorb broth as the soup sits, so leftovers will be thicker and the noodles softer — still delicious, but plan to stir in a splash of broth when reheating to loosen it back to a soupy consistency. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming.

For the best texture on leftovers, you can cook the noodles separately and store them apart from the broth, combining them when you reheat. The soup base (without noodles) also freezes well: cool it completely, freeze in portion containers for up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cook fresh noodles in the reheated soup for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Freeze the ricotta topping separately or add fresh ricotta when serving, since frozen-and-thawed ricotta turns grainy.

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Nutrition

Estimated per serving (about 1 1/2 cups, recipe makes 6 servings):

• Calories: 610
• Total Fat: 33 g
• Saturated Fat: 13 g
• Cholesterol: 95 mg
• Sodium: 990 mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 46 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Total Sugars: 9 g
• Protein: 33 g

Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and will vary with the type of sausage, broth, and cheese used, as well as exact serving size.