All the flavors you love from classic lasagna, made quick and comforting in a hearty soup.
When time is short but the craving for lasagna hits, a bubbling pot of lasagna soup is the perfect solution. Between busy days and parenting demands, layering a whole pan of lasagna isn’t always realistic. That’s why this lasagna soup has become a favorite — it captures the savory combination of Italian sausage, garlicky tomato broth, tender pasta and plenty of cheese, but comes together much faster and with less fuss.
This version stays close to the classic: Italian sausage (regular or plant-based), a rich tomato-based broth seasoned with Italian herbs and a touch of heat, short curly pasta (like mafalda), and a generous finish of cheeses — ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan. The method is simple, adaptable and ideal for a cozy 30-minute dinner. It’s also easy to make vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free depending on your ingredient choices.
Lasagna Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video
A short video walkthrough can help if you prefer to see the steps. The basic process is browning the sausage and vegetables, deglazing, simmering the tomato broth, cooking pasta and finishing with cheese and fresh basil.
Lasagna Soup Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients and a few tips to help you customize the soup:
- Italian sausage: Use pork, beef, chicken or a plant-based Italian sausage to suit your diet — all work well.
- Vegetables: A base of onion, red bell pepper and garlic keeps the flavor classic. You can add other vegetables or greens like carrots, celery, mushrooms, spinach or kale if you like.
- Seasonings: Pantry staples (Italian seasoning, bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper) are all you need. Adjust amounts to taste.
- Wine or substitute: Dry white wine or a splash of red will deglaze the pan and deepen the broth. If you avoid alcohol, replace the wine with an extra cup of stock plus a little red wine vinegar.
- Stock: Beef stock gives a rich base, but chicken or vegetable stock are great alternatives.
- Tomatoes: A combination of fire-roasted diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes gives the best texture and flavor, but any canned tomatoes will work.
- Pasta: Mafalda corta is ideal for a lasagna-like bite, but short broken lasagna noodles or any small pasta shape will do.
- Toppings: A mix of ricotta, shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan is delicious; finish with chopped fresh basil for brightness.
Lasagna Soup Recipe Variations
This soup is extremely flexible. Try one of these variations depending on your preferences:
- Vegetarian: Swap in a plant-based Italian sausage and use vegetable stock.
- Vegan: Use plant-based sausage and plant-based cheeses, and vegetable stock.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free pasta.
- No alcohol: Omit the wine and use extra stock plus a splash of vinegar for acidity.
- Different protein: Substitute ground beef, chicken or pork if you prefer.
- Extra vegetables: Add carrots, celery, zucchini or leafy greens to increase nutrition and texture.
Favorite Cozy Soup Recipes
If you enjoy this lasagna soup, other comforting soups to try include wild rice soup, gumbo, chili, pozole rojo and lemony lentil soup. Each offers hearty flavor and a warming bowl perfect for cool evenings.
Easy Lasagna Soup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Ali
All the cozy, layered flavors of lasagna — meat, tomato, pasta and cheese — combined into a quick and comforting soup.
Equipment
- Large stockpot or Dutch oven
- Medium pot for boiling pasta
- Wooden spoon and strainer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (or plant-based sausage)
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 1 cup dry white wine (or substitute extra stock + splash of vinegar)
- 4 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 ounces uncooked mafalda pasta (or your preferred pasta)
- Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Toppings: shredded mozzarella, ricotta and/or grated Parmesan; chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Prep the pasta water. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the sausage and vegetables. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and bell pepper. Cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned and the vegetables are softened, about 8–10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook 1–2 minutes more.
- Deglaze and add broth. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add the stock, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
- Cook the pasta. While the soup comes to a simmer, cook the pasta in the boiling water until nearly al dente according to package directions.
- Simmer and combine. Reduce the soup heat to medium-low and simmer until the flavors blend. When the pasta is nearly done, use a strainer to transfer it directly into the pot of soup. Stir and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente and the soup has reached your desired consistency.
- Season and serve. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, more Italian seasoning or crushed red pepper if needed. Serve immediately with generous dollops of ricotta, a sprinkle of mozzarella and Parmesan, and chopped fresh basil.
Additional Info
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Did you make this? Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!