Warm, tomatoey, cheesy, and filled with tender pasta, this lasagna soup brings everything I love
about a bubbling pan of lasagna into one cozy pot.
Add a spoonful of creamy ricotta or a handful of mozzarella on top, grab some crusty garlic bread, and dinner is ready.
There are nights when lasagna sounds perfect, but layering noodles, sauce, meat, and cheese—
and then waiting for it all to bake—doesn’t.
That’s when I’d make this soup. It has those same comforting flavors, with seasoned ground beef, tomatoes,
Parmesan, and pasta simmering together in a rich, savory broth.
And the best part? It takes about 35 minutes from start to finish. The pasta cooks right in the soup, soaking up all that tomatoey flavor as it becomes tender. By the time the Parmesan goes in, the broth is savory and satisfying, and all that’s left to do is ladle it into bowls and add the cheese.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is the kind of dinner I want when I’m craving something hearty without turning it into an all-evening cooking project.
It has all the cozy lasagna flavors. Ground beef, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, pasta, Parmesan, and that final bit of mozzarella or ricotta give every bowl the flavors that make lasagna so satisfying.
It’s ready in 35 minutes. There’s no layering and no baking. Everything comes together in one pot, making this an especially nice recipe for a busy evening.
The pasta cooks right in the broth. As the Mafalda or broken lasagna noodles simmer, they become tender and soak up the savory tomato broth.
The cheesy finish makes it. Parmesan is stirred directly into the soup, and you can finish your bowl with shredded mozzarella or a creamy spoonful of ricotta.
It’s a full meal in a bowl. Between the beef, pasta, vegetables, and rich tomato broth, you really don’t need much alongside it. Some garlic bread and a simple salad are plenty.
Lasagna Soup Ingredients
Here’s what each ingredient brings to this cozy, hearty soup:
- Ground Beef – gives the soup its savory, meaty base and makes each bowl hearty enough for dinner.
- Onion – cooks with the beef and adds a subtle sweetness and extra depth to the broth.
- Green Bell Pepper – adds a little freshness and classic savory vegetable flavor.
- Garlic – brings plenty of aromatic flavor. It goes in toward the end of browning so it doesn’t burn.
- Ground Thyme – adds a warm, earthy note that works especially well with the beef and tomatoes.
- Italian Seasoning – brings those familiar Italian-inspired herb flavors that help give the soup its lasagna-like taste.
- Salt – enhances all the savory flavors already happening in the pot.
- Brown Sugar – just a tablespoon helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. It isn’t there to make the soup noticeably sweet.
- Chicken Broth – creates the flavorful broth that turns all those lasagna ingredients into a cozy soup.
- Petite Diced Tomatoes – add little bites of tomato throughout the soup while giving the broth plenty of tomato flavor.
- Tomato Sauce – gives the broth a richer tomato base and helps bring everything together.
- Mafalda Pasta (or Lasagna Noodles) – Mafalda has those cute ruffled edges that make it look like tiny lasagna noodles. Broken lasagna noodles work just as well.
- Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese – stirred in at the end for an extra savory, cheesy finish.
- Mozzarella or Ricotta Cheese – these are optional, but they really give each bowl that finished-lasagna feel. Go with melty shredded mozzarella, a creamy dollop of ricotta, or a little of both.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Let’s make lasagna soup!
First, cook the beef and vegetables.
Place a large pot over the heat. Add the 1 pound ground beef, 1 small onion, diced, and 1 green bell pepper, diced. Cook while breaking the beef into crumbles until it is browned.
Next, add the garlic.
During the final couple of minutes of cooking, stir in the 3 cloves garlic, minced. Adding the garlic toward the end helps prevent it from burning.
Drain the beef mixture.
Drain away the excess grease from the beef mixture, then return the ground beef mixture to the pot.
Build the tomato broth.
Add the 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 32 ounce carton chicken broth, 2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes, and 15 ounce can tomato sauce. Stir everything together thoroughly and bring the mixture to a boil.
Let it simmer.
Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
Now, add the pasta.
After 20 minutes, stir in the 2 cups broken Mafalda pasta (or lasagna noodles). Continue simmering until the pasta is tender, about 10 or so minutes, stirring occasionally. The pasta can be broken into smaller or larger pieces according to preference.
Make it cheesy.
Stir the ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese into the finished soup.
Finally, serve.
Spoon the hot soup into individual bowls. If desired, finish each serving with shredded mozzarella cheese or a dollop of ricotta cheese.
Expert Tips
A few little details make this simple soup especially good.
Wait to add the garlic. Let the beef, onion, and green bell pepper get a head start, then stir in the garlic during the final couple of minutes. Garlic cooks quickly, and adding it later keeps it from burning.
Drain off excess grease. Once the beef is browned, remove the extra grease before adding the broth and tomatoes. If you’re working with very lean ground beef, there might not be much to drain.
Give the broth its full simmering time. Those 20 minutes give the tomatoes, herbs, beef, and broth time to come together before the pasta goes into the pot.
Stir the pasta occasionally. Because the noodles cook directly in the soup, give them a stir now and then so they cook evenly and don’t settle together.
Use the pasta texture as your guide. About 10 minutes should do it, but check a piece before moving on. You want the pasta tender and ready to eat.
Don’t forget the Parmesan. It goes in at the very end, giving the finished soup an extra savory, cheesy layer.
Recipe Variations
One of the nice things about this soup is that even the original recipe gives you a little room to make each bowl your own.
If you can find Mafalda pasta, its little ruffled edges give the soup that unmistakable lasagna look. If you can’t, no problem—broken lasagna noodles work too. Keep the amount at 2 cups, just as the recipe calls for.
For serving, I love the idea of a generous dollop of ricotta melting slowly into the hot tomato broth. If you’re after something cheesier, sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top instead. Or add both for an extra-cozy bowl.
The topping is completely optional, too. There’s already ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese stirred into the pot, so the soup has plenty of savory cheese flavor on its own.
Storage & Reheating
This is a great soup to have waiting in the refrigerator for another cozy meal. Let leftovers cool, transfer them to a covered container, and refrigerate them for up to 4 days.
One thing to keep in mind is the pasta. As the soup sits, the noodles will continue to soak up some of that tomato broth, so leftovers can become thicker. That’s completely normal.
To freeze the soup, let it cool completely and transfer it to a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen for 2–3 months. If you’re making a batch specifically for the freezer, leave out the pasta and cheese. Add the noodles later when you reheat the soup for a fresher texture.
When you’re ready to eat, thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it slowly on the stovetop.
You can also get a head start on dinner without freezing it. Prepare the soup through the 20-minute simmer, stopping before you add the pasta. Cool and refrigerate it. When dinner time comes around, bring the soup back to a boil, add the pasta, and finish the recipe from there.
Serving Suggestions
For me, this soup is calling out for garlic bread. A warm, crisp piece is perfect for dipping into the tomato broth and catching those last bits of Parmesan at the bottom of the bowl.
If you want to round out the meal, serve it with a simple side salad. Something fresh and crisp is a nice contrast to the hearty beef, pasta, tomatoes, and cheese.
And don’t be shy with the toppings. Set out bowls of shredded mozzarella and ricotta at the table and let everyone finish their soup the way they like it. A little mozzarella gives you that familiar melty lasagna experience, while ricotta makes each spoonful creamy and rich.
However you top it, serve this lasagna soup piping hot. Add the garlic bread on the side, and you’ve got a cozy, satisfying dinner without ever having to layer a single lasagna noodle.
Recipe FAQs
1. Can I use regular lasagna noodles instead of Mafalda pasta?
Yes, regular lasagna noodles work great. Simply break them into smaller pieces before adding them to the soup. Use the same 2 cups of pasta called for in the recipe and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
2. How do I keep the pasta from getting too soft?
Make sure you don’t add the pasta too early. Let the soup simmer for the full 20 minutes first, then add the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the noodles are tender, the soup is ready to serve.
3. Can I make lasagna soup ahead of time?
Yes, but I recommend waiting to add the pasta. Make the soup through the 20-minute simmer, then cool and store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, bring the soup back to a boil, add the pasta and continue with the recipe. This helps keep the noodles from becoming too soft.
4. Why does lasagna soup get thicker after it sits?
The pasta will continue to soak up the broth as it sits, especially overnight in the refrigerator. This is completely normal. When reheating leftovers, you can add a little broth or water if you prefer a thinner soup.
5. Is ricotta or mozzarella better on lasagna soup?
Either one works, so use whichever you love on regular lasagna. Ricotta gives the soup a creamy finish, while mozzarella melts into the hot broth and makes it extra cheesy. You can also add a little of both.
Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground thyme
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 32 ounce carton chicken broth
- 2 cans (14.5 ounce) petite diced tomatoes
- 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 2 cups broken Mafalda pasta (or lasagna noodles)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- shredded mozzarella cheese or a dollop of ricotta cheese (for topping, optional)
Instructions
- Place a large pot over the heat. Add the 1 pound ground beef, 1 small onion, diced, and 1 green bell pepper, diced. Cook while breaking the beef into crumbles until it is browned.
- During the final couple of minutes of cooking, stir in the 3 cloves garlic, minced. Adding the garlic toward the end helps prevent it from burning.
- Drain away the excess grease from the beef mixture, then return the ground beef mixture to the pot.
- Add the 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 32 ounce carton chicken broth, 2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes, and 15 ounce can tomato sauce. Stir everything together thoroughly and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, stir in the 2 cups broken Mafalda pasta (or lasagna noodles). Continue simmering until the pasta is tender, about 10 or so minutes, stirring occasionally. The pasta can be broken into smaller or larger pieces according to preference.
- Stir the ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese into the finished soup.
- Spoon the hot soup into individual bowls. If desired, finish each serving with shredded mozzarella cheese or a dollop of ricotta cheese.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 20g | Sodium: 468mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g Per serving (1 of 8 servings). These are the nutrition values provided in the original recipe card.
