This cozy Lasagna Soup has all the flavors of classic lasagna in an easy, one-pot format that comes together quickly for weeknight dinner! I’ve been on a kick lately to try out lots of the viral social media recipes that I never kept up with. I gotta tell you, this one is a winner, especially for this seemingly endless winter we are having in northern Virginia!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to recreate this Lasagna Soup. Note, a few ingredients are not included in the photo above because sometimes I forget to grab them off the counter (*insert face palm here*).
- Ground beef – I wouldn’t recommend using anything with a higher fat content than 93/7, unless you want to drain off the fat after browning it. For a more complex flavor, add an extra 1/4 pound of raw hot Italian sausage when you add the beef.
- Pasta – I really like the reginetti shape because the ruffles give lasagna vibes but is bite sized and fun to eat. I don’t recommend breaking apart sheets of lasagna noodles – it’s not as easy to eat and kind of falls off the spoon. Malfada or campanelle are great alternatives to reginetti.
- Beef stock – Veggie stock would work too, but beef stock has the most flavor.
- Crushed tomatoes – These have more texture than plain tomato sauce, so I like to mix this in, liquid and all.
- Tomato sauce – Totally smooth and builds that tomato flavor without being too thick.
- Tomato paste – Adds sweetness and deeper tomato flavor to make this soup taste more like it’s been simmering all day rather than ~20 minutes.
- Baby spinach – You don’t have to use spinach, but I think this soup needs some green! You can add even more if you like.
- Onion – Helps nail that classic Italian flavor.
- Garlic – Go ahead and measure with your heart.
- Italian seasoning – Use my house blend or store-bought.
- Bay leaves – I’ve made this soup with and without bay leaves and they are critical to developing flavor so the soup doesn’t come off “flat” or boring.
- Parmesan rind – You can buy these in a lot of grocery stores, or just chop off the hard, rounded end of a hunk of parmesan. Since this is a quick cooking soup where it can be hard to develop deep flavors, this adds some great umami.
- Ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses – Adding these on top to melt into the soup really give you the lasagna effect. You can mix them all together or add them separately.
tips to
Meal Prep this Soup
I meal prepped this recipe a few times during recipe testing and the pasta actually holds up well, though it continues to absorb the sauce and broth as it sits. Beyond day 5, the pasta will start to get mushy because of that. For the best meal prep version of this soup:
- Remove the soup from heat when the pasta is barely al dente: The carry through heat of the broth will finish cooking it. I’ve even taken it off heat ~1min before al dente and let it sit covered for 10 mins after adding the spinach – this is a great option if you’re only meal prepping it.
- Add a little extra beef stock before reheating: How much you need will depend on your soup preferences. As the pasta absorbs more broth, it can turn more into a sauced pasta than a soup. Extra stock keeps it soupy.
To freeze this soup, leave out the pasta: The pasta will get mushy if frozen and reheated, but the broth will freeze well in Souper Cubes. Skip adding the pasta after bringing the mixture to a boil and lower heat to a simmer for 10-12 minutes before removing from heat and adding spinach.
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Lasagna Soup
This cozy soup has all the flavors of classic lasagna in an easy, one-pot format that comes together for weeknight dinner!
Servings: servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb 93/7 ground beef
- 9 oz reginetti pasta
- 4 cups beef stock, 32 fl oz
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes with basil
- 14 oz tomato sauce
- 3 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 small onion, diced (200 grams)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (12 grams)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Homemade Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 parmesan rind (optional)
Cheese Topping
- 3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese, (186 grams)
- 1/2 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese, (56 grams)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, (8 grams)
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium high heat until shimmery. Add 1 lb 93/7 ground beef (and sausage if using), breaking apart as it cooks. When the beef is about half cooked, add 1 small onion and continue breaking beef apart until almost completely cooked through, then add 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp Homemade Italian Seasoning. Mix and cook another 1-2 minutes.
- Add 14 oz crushed tomatoes with basil, 14 oz tomato sauce, and 4 cups beef stock, stirring until well combined. Add 2 bay leaves and 1 parmesan rind (optional), then cover and bring mixture to a boil.
- Add 9 oz reginetti pasta to the mixture and stir, then lower heat slightly to medium. Cover and continue to boil for 9-10 minutes or until pasta is very al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the Cheese Topping. In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, and 1 tbsp fresh basil. Set aside.
- Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from heat and remove the parmesan rind and bay leaves. Add 3 oz baby spinach, stir and rest for at least 5 minutes. Add a scoop of the Cheese Topping over the soup for serving.
Tips & Tricks
Flavor: For a more robust flavor, add 1/4 lb of hot Italian sausage during the same step as the beef. Note that if you skip the sausage, the bay leaves are critical and adding parmesan rind while the pasta cooks is highly recommended.
Make it ahead or freeze: Check out my recommendations for leftovers or meal prep here.
Nutrition: Scan the barcode below or search for “Peanut Butter and Fitness Lasagna Soup” to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 2cups, Calories: 439kcal (22%), Carbohydrates: 50g (17%), Protein: 32g (64%), Fat: 13g (20%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 66mg (22%), Sodium: 1353mg (59%), Potassium: 1048mg (30%), Fiber: 6g (25%), Sugar: 8g (9%)
