Spicy Lasagna Soup
This spicy lasagna soup features all the iconic flavors of lasagna but without the fuss of layering and baking. It’s made in one pot, comes together in thirty minutes and is a cozy weeknight dinner the whole family will love. Serve it up with your favorite garlic bread and a big green salad and don’t be surprised when you dip in for seconds. It is outrageously good.
- 1 Erica’s ramblings:
- 2 The simple ingredients you’ll need to make this easy lasagna soup:
- 3 How to make spicy lasagna soup:
- 4 Expert tips and variations:
- 5 FAQs
- 6 What to serve with spicy lasagna soup:
- 7 If you love this creamy spicy lasagna soup you’ll love these other pasta dinners!
- 8 Watch how to make spicy lasagna soup:
- 9 Spicy Lasagna Soup
Erica’s ramblings:
When I was in college I was a devout reader of food magazines- Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Food Network, Food and Nutrition, Saveur, I loved them.
It was probably circa idk, 2014? and I distinctly remember the cover of Bon Appetit boasting this epic-looking picture of “the ultimate lasagna.” I didn’t even have to flip to the actual recipe, I knew I had to have it.
This particular recipe was involved to say the least: pasta from scratch, a bechamel sauce, Bolognese meat sauce simmered for hours, all constructed in layer after layer after layer.
It took me HOURS to make it. I had lasagna sheets draped over every inch of my tiny kitchen. Dirtied every pot and pan my college self owned. We had friends over for dinner. I served the lasagna and it was… dry. And kinda sad.
A part of my soul died that day.
Okay okay I’m being dramatic but here’s the moral of the story. I like lasagna. I just don’t like making lasagna. Fast forward a decade and I have two toddlers running around and there ain’t no way I’m draping fresh lasagna sheets around my kitchen. Enter: this easy lasagna soup recipe. Classic flavors of traditional lasagna, my large Dutch oven and thirty minutes. Exactly what I need for dinner in this chaotic season of life. And can I just say, I would serve THIS to company over my kajillion-hour lasagna ten times out of ten.
The simple ingredients you’ll need to make this easy lasagna soup:
Italian sausage: spicy sausage provides much of the heat in this recipe but if you don’t want it spicy, opt for mild Italian sausage!
Veggies: red bell pepper, carrots, yellow onion and fresh garlic cloves make up the base of the soup.
Seasonings: I bet you’ve already got these stocked in your pantry! Dried basil, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper add lots of great flavor. In a pinch, you could sub the dried basil, oregano and thyme for two tablespoons of Italian seasoning.
Marinara sauce: we skip the canned tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce and go straight for an easy and flavorful shortcut- good quality marinara sauce! I love Rao’s homemade.
Chicken broth: bonus points if you have homemade chicken broth, but you can also use a carton of chicken broth or chicken stock.
Parmesan rind: if you’re like me and love buying a block of parmesan, you’ll likely end up with a rind and not know what to do with it. The parmesan rind is full of salty cheesy flavor so let it permeate into the soup as it simmers.
Lasagna noodles: you’ll need 8oz lasagna sheets for this recipe- you can break them apart by hand or boil and then slice.
Heavy cream: heavy cream offers a splash of decadence to finish the soup.
Mozzarella cheese: I recommend buying a part-skim mozzarella or full fat mozzarella ball and grating it yourself. You can find these in the cheese section of the grocery store.
Ricotta cheese: ricotta cheese is usually found right by the mozzarella cheese in most major grocery stores.
Pesto: pesto offers a fresh punch of herby, garlicky flavor and a lovely pop of color to the finished lasagna soup!
How to make spicy lasagna soup:
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and when the oil is hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the sausage is browned and fully cooked through, remove it to a paper towel-lined plate leaving about one tablespoon fat behind in the pan.
Reduce to medium heat and add the bell pepper, onion, carrots and garlic, sautéing for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and toss to coat the veggies in the seasonings. Return the sausage to the pot and pour in the marinara sauce and chicken broth. Add a parmesan rind if you have it!
You have two options for the lasagna noodles.
Option one: snap the uncooked noodles into pieces (I recommend aiming for square-ish pieces). You’ll get about 3-4 pieces per lasagna sheet. Add the pasta pieces to the soup and simmer for 14-15 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Note that this is the less precise way and you may end up with some odd-shaped pieces of pasta (and a few shards flying about your kitchen) but it’ll still taste GREAT.
Option two: boil the lasagna sheets separately in a pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and slice each lasagna sheet lengthwise into 2-3 strips. Add the cooked lasagna to the soup.
Simmer the soup on low heat for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Stir in cream and mozzarella cheese. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with dollops of ricotta cheese and pesto. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves and lots of freshly cracked pepper. MUAH.
Expert tips and variations:
- You can absolutely use a different type of pasta. A short-cut pasta like rotini, fusilli, penne or casarecce would all work great.
- Other veggies you could add to the base: celery, red onion, shallot, mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash
- Meal prep it: this soup is even better the next day but does soak up quite a bit of the broth/liquid. This makes a big batch and is a great meal to prep for lunches!
- Switch up the protein: you can sub in half lean ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey for the Italian sausage if desired. (I’d recommend keeping some Italian sausage for flavor!)
FAQs
Yep! Fusilli, penne, casarecce and rotini all work great.
Use certified gluten-free pasta like lentil pasta, chickpea pasta or brown rice pasta.
To make this vegetarian omit the sausage and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The noodles will absorb much of the soup broth but it is still so tasty!
Use mild Italian sausage and omit the red pepper flakes.
Freeze the soup at the stage right before adding the lasagna noodles. To serve: thaw and warm the soup in a large pot. Add cooked lasagna noodles, cream and mozzarella and serve with ricotta and pesto.
What to serve with spicy lasagna soup:
If you love this creamy spicy lasagna soup you’ll love these other pasta dinners!
Watch how to make spicy lasagna soup:
GRAB ME A SPOON. 🤤
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Spicy Lasagna Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This simple spicy lasagna soup is cheesy and comforting, full of tomato flavor and topped with little pillows of ricotta and flavorful pesto. It’s a dinner win!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 28oz jar marinara sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Parmesan rind (if you have it!)
- 8 oz lasagna noodles
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
Sausage: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium-high and when the oil is hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the sausage is browned and fully cooked through, remove it to a paper towel-lined plate leaving about one tablespoon fat behind in the pot.
Soup: Reduce the heat to medium and add the bell pepper, onion, carrots and garlic, sautéing for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and toss to coat the veggies in the seasonings. Return the sausage to the pot and pour in the marinara sauce and chicken broth. Add a parmesan rind if you have it!
Pasta: Option one: snap the uncooked lasagna sheets into pieces (I recommend aiming for square-ish pieces). You’ll get about 3-4 pieces per lasagna sheet. Add the pasta pieces to the soup and simmer for 14-15 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Note that this is the less precise way and you may end up with some odd-shaped pieces of pasta but it’ll still taste GREAT.
Option two: boil the lasagna sheets separately in a pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and slice each lasagna sheet lengthwise into 2-3 strips. Add the cooked lasagna to the soup.
Assemble: Simmer the soup for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Stir in cream and mozzarella cheese. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with dollops of ricotta cheese and pesto. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves and lots of freshly cracked pepper. MUAH.
Notes
Instant pot instructions: Set Instant pot to sauté mode. Brown the spicy Italian sausage, then add onion, pepper, carrots, and garlic. Add seasonings, marinara sauce, chicken broth, and parmesan rind. Break lasagna noodles into pieces and add to the pot. Pressure cook for 5 minutes, then quick release. Stir in heavy cream and mozzarella. Serve with dollops of ricotta, pesto, and a sprinkle of parmesan.
Slow cooker instructions: to make crockpot lasagna soup, brown the Italian sausage in a stainless steel or cast iron skillet and then add the bell pepper, onion, carrots and garlic, sautéing for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the sausage and veggies to a crockpot along with seasonings, broth, marinara, parmesan rind and broken lasagna pieces. Cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through. Stir in mozzarella and cream.
For tips, variations and answers to frequently asked questions, refer to the above blog post!
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
- Calories: 572
- Sugar: 11.6 g
- Sodium: 1945.7 mg
- Fat: 31.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.3 g
- Fiber: 7.5 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 81.5 mg
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Another delicious meal from It’s a Flavorful Life! I went with the option to add random bits of lasagna to the soup. I always have extra because I don’t use them all when making lasagna, and this was the perfect way to use them! I also used my homemade veggie broth (another It’s a Flavorful Life recipe!!). I love the addition of pesto– I’m a huge fan! Thanks for sharing!!
Delicious!! Fairly quick and easy, and possibly even better than actual lasagna. Thanks for sharing!
Made this for dinner this evening!
Excellent! That little dollop of pesto.. girl!!
Thank you for always having delicious recipes.
yaaasss! So glad you loved it Cynthia! Thank you for making my recipe and for your review, I appreciate it! 🙂
This was BOMB! Make it.
This one is SOOOO good! My husband rarely tells me he likes something unless I ask, but this time, he made sure to let me know he loved it! Tons of flavor and easy to throw together, even better the next day!
YAAASSSS! C’mon Joey we need more compliments! Lol. I’m so honored he loved it hahaha.
So delicious! So easy! Will be making this again!
This was so good! It has everything I love about lasagna without the fuss and in one pot. Thanks for a keeper.
So delicious! Took me longer then the estimated time that it said on the top to make, but worth the wait!
Yay happy to hear you enjoyed Marysol!! And that it was worth the wait 🙂
Super easy to follow recipe and OMG, delicious! This will definitely be on rotation at home, my husband said if this was a meal at a restaurant he would always order it!
Incredible soup! It’s easy to come together and also makes great left overs. Erica never misses 😍
Hi, I love the recipe but making it a second time I noticed it doesn’t say when to add the basil pesto 1/4 cup? when do I add?
This is tasty. I love the flavor and overall it is fairly easy to make!
I’m in love with this soup. I made this as a delivered meal for a freshly postpartum friend (plus some of your lactation cookies!).
Amazing, thank you Harper!
So yummy!! I used mild Italian sausage instead of spicy because I have little kids and it was so good! Can’t wait for the day when I can try it with spicy sausage. Thanks for the dinner idea!
Woot woot! You’re welcome Shay!
This is the best lasagne soup! We made it exactly how the recipe describes and it turned out fantastic! Super creamy, even my picky 12 yo loved it.
Yaaaay, glad you loved it Danielle!