One-Pot Lasagna Soup is lasagna without the layering, the waiting, or the washing-up: Italian sausage, a rich tomato-garlic broth, and broken lasagna noodles simmered in a single pot, finished with dollops of ricotta and a shower of mozzarella. It tastes like Sunday lasagna on a Tuesday night.
Everything cooks in one pot, including the pasta, so the starch thickens the broth into something silky — and dinner is on the table in 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot, 30 minutes — pasta cooks right in the soup.
- Real lasagna flavour — sausage, tomato, basil, ricotta, mozzarella.
- Weeknight-easy, weekend-cozy — fast enough for a busy night, comforting enough for a cold one.
- Feeds a crowd — easily doubled for family dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb (450 g) Italian sausage, casings removed (mild or hot)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups (950 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
- 8 lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup (240 g) ricotta cheese, for serving
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil leaves, torn, to serve
Instructions
- Brown the sausage. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook 5–6 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, until browned. Drain off most of the fat if there is a lot.
- Soften the aromatics. Add the onion and cook 3–4 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and tomato paste; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Build the soup. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta. Stir in the broken lasagna noodles, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender. The soup will thicken as the pasta cooks.
- Check and adjust. Taste and add more salt if needed. If the soup gets too thick, stir in a splash of stock or water.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls. Top each with a spoonful of ricotta, a handful of mozzarella, a sprinkle of Parmesan and torn basil. Serve immediately — the cheese melts into the hot soup.
Serving Suggestions
- Warm garlic bread or crusty bread for dipping
- A simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette
- Extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes at the table
Tips for Success
- Break the noodles small. Pieces about 2 inches long are easiest to eat with a spoon and cook evenly.
- Stir while simmering. Pasta can stick to the bottom of the pot — a stir every couple of minutes keeps it free.
- Serve the cheese on top, not in the pot. Ricotta and mozzarella stirred into the whole pot can get gluey; dolloping per bowl keeps it creamy.
- Leftovers thicken. The pasta keeps absorbing broth in the fridge — add a splash of stock when reheating.
Substitutions
- Ground beef or turkey: Swap for the sausage; add ½ teaspoon fennel seeds to keep the Italian flavour.
- Vegetarian: Skip the sausage, use vegetable stock, and add a can of white beans plus extra mushrooms.
- No lasagna noodles? Mafalda, broken spaghetti or any short pasta works — adjust cooking time to the package.
- No ricotta? A dollop of mascarpone, or just extra mozzarella, does the job.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store up to 4 days in an airtight container (keep the cheese toppings separate if possible).
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of stock or water — the pasta will have thickened the soup.
- Freezer: Freeze the soup base (before adding pasta) up to 3 months. Cook fresh pasta when reheating.
FAQ
Can I make lasagna soup in a slow cooker?
Yes — brown the sausage first, then add everything except the pasta and cheese to the slow cooker on low for 4 hours. Stir in the pasta for the last 30 minutes.
Why is my soup so thick?
The pasta releases starch as it cooks, which is normal. Thin it with stock or water until it is the consistency you like.
Can I use oven-ready lasagna noodles?
Yes — they cook a little faster, so start checking after 8 minutes.
Does it taste like real lasagna?
It has all the same flavours — sausage, tomato, basil, three cheeses — just in soup form. It is the weeknight version, not a replacement for the layered original.
Recipe Card
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Calories: ~480 kcal per serving (estimate)
Ingredients: olive oil, Italian sausage, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, lasagna noodles, salt, pepper, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh basil.
Instructions (short): Brown the sausage, soften onion and garlic with tomato paste and seasonings. Add crushed tomatoes and stock, bring to a boil, add broken lasagna noodles and simmer 10–12 minutes until tender. Serve topped with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil.
