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Hearty and delicious, Lasagna Soup has all those classic Italian ingredients of the famous baked casserole but without the assembly work. With Italian sausage, mushrooms, spices, and cheese, it’s all the flavors without the layers.
I make Lasagna Soup because I love the flavors without the layers. It’s just an easier strategy to get there, and the soup tastes amazing. I see no downside here.
The soup is extra flavorful from Italian sausage, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and all the classic Italian spices. Small pieces of lasagna noodles hammer home the idea, but really any small pasta will work.
Finish it off with a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella (or even a dollop of ricotta) and you’ll never even miss the extra labor involved in getting a proper lasagna on the table.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Lasagna noodles: Put those leftover lasagna noodles from your pantry to work in this Lasagna Soup. Just break the dry noodles into bite-sized pieces. Or, substitute any other small pasta (radiatori and rotini are my favorites here).
- Italian sausage: Ground beef may be substituted for the Italian sausage.
- Mushrooms: The mushrooms are optional and for true mushroom lovers only! Don’t feel obligated to put them in if you don’t love them.
- Italian seasoning: To make your own homemade Italian seasoning, combine equal parts of dried basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Store extra seasoning covered in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil. Add noodles and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.
- Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat, add sausage, onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook until the sausage has browned and the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain if desired.
- Add water, diced tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, basil, fennel, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Stir in sausage mixture and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until flavors have blended, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in drained pasta until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with mozzarella cheese.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Lasagna Soup recipe makes about 12 cups of soup, enough for 6 generous servings, 2 cups each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: For best results, omit the pasta before freezing. When it’s time to reheat the soup, boil the noodles separately and add them to the pot while it’s reheating.
- Slow cooker: Set it and forget it. My slow cooker lasagna soup takes just 10 minutes of prep.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, and it’s easy! First, make sure your ground sausage is gluten-free. Then, substitute your favorite gluten-free noodles. I personally really like the Barilla gluten-free noodles. They taste like the real thing.
Shredded mozzarella cheese, a dollop of ricotta, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and fresh herbs like basil and parsley are all good topping choices.
Round out your Italian menu
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Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry lasagna noodles broken into bite-sized pieces (see note 1)
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (see note 2)
- 1 large onion chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 carrots peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups water
- 28 ounces Italian-style diced tomatoes undrained
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced, optional (see note 3)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (see note 4)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese for topping
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil. Add noodles and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.
- Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat, add sausage, onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook until the sausage has browned and the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain if desired.
- Add water, diced tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, basil, fennel, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Stir in sausage mixture and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until flavors have blended, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in drained pasta until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve with mozzarella cheese.
Notes
- Lasagna noodles: Put those leftover lasagna noodles from your pantry to work in this Lasagna Soup. Just break the dry noodles into bite-sized pieces. Or, substitute any other small pasta (radiatori and rotini are my favorites here).
- Italian sausage: Ground beef may be substituted for the Italian sausage.
- Mushrooms: The mushrooms are optional and for true mushroom lovers only! Don’t feel obligated to put them in if you don’t love them.
- Italian seasoning: To make your own homemade Italian seasoning, combine equal parts of dried basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Store extra seasoning covered in the pantry for up to 6 months.
- Yield: This Lasagna Soup recipe makes about 12 cups of soup, enough for 6 generous servings, 2 cups each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: For best results, omit the pasta before freezing. When it’s time to reheat the soup, boil the noodles separately and add them to the pot while it’s reheating.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
