The sausage browns first, and the moment the tomato paste hits the pot, the kitchen starts smelling like the best part of lasagna before the noodles even go in. I like this soup when I want those familiar tomato, sausage, and ricotta flavors without building layers or waiting for a casserole to bake. Each bowl gets a spoonful of cheesy ricotta on top, so the first bite is creamy while the broth underneath stays savory and tomato-rich.
Cooking the noodles right in the broth gives them time to take on the soup’s flavor, but it also means they need a little attention. I stir often while they simmer and stop when they’re al dente, not soft. Heavy cream goes in after the pot comes off the heat, and the ricotta mixture stays separate until serving. That combination gives you a silky broth and a cool, creamy topping in the same bowl.
It’s a hearty, satisfying soup, with broken lasagna noodles and browned sausage in every spoonful.
Kitchen Note
Keep the ricotta mixture in its bowl until you’re ready to serve. A spoonful on each bowl gives you a distinct creamy topping instead of blending the cheeses into the whole pot.
Save this creamy lasagna soup for a cozy dinner: browned sausage, tender noodles, and a ricotta topping in every bowl.
Why the Tomato Paste Gets Its Own Minute Before the Broth
Tomato paste is concentrated, and it tastes different when it goes straight from the can into a pot of liquid. Giving it a minute to cook after the sausage, onion, and garlic are ready lets it warm through and coat the bottom of the pot before the crushed tomatoes and broth loosen everything. That brief step builds a deeper-tasting base without adding another pan or a long cooking time.
There’s also a useful balance in how the dairy is added. The heavy cream goes into the soup after it leaves the heat, while the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and parsley are mixed separately and spooned onto individual servings. You get a creamy broth, but the ricotta still reads as a topping rather than disappearing into the soup. It’s a small change from a baked lasagna’s layers, and it makes each bowl feel complete without making the whole pot uniformly rich.
The Ingredients That Give This Soup Its Lasagna Character
- Italian ground sausage — This brings both the meat and much of the seasoning. Mild and hot are the built-in options: choose mild for a gentler soup or hot for a spicier one. There isn’t a direct substitute in this ingredient list that gives the same seasoned base.
- Yellow onion and garlic — Diced onion softens into the broth, while minced garlic cooks briefly so its aroma stays present without scorching. Fresh garlic matters here; dried garlic won’t give quite the same fresh, savory lift. Cut the onion into small, even pieces so it softens in the stated time.
- Tomato paste and crushed tomatoes — The paste gives the base concentrated tomato flavor, and the crushed tomatoes supply the soup’s body. Standard canned crushed tomatoes work well; there’s no need to seek out a specialty brand. Keep both rather than swapping one for the other, since they do different jobs.
- Low-sodium chicken broth — Low-sodium broth leaves room for the kosher salt and the seasoning in the sausage without making the finished soup overly salty. If you’re choosing broth at the store, this is the detail to look for on the label.
- Lasagna noodles — Breaking them into 2-inch pieces makes them easier to scoop with the sausage and broth. Use lasagna noodles, not a different shape with its own cooking time; the soup’s simmer time is set for these pieces.
- Heavy cream and the ricotta topping — Heavy cream rounds out the broth, while whole-milk ricotta makes a thick, spoonable topping. Mozzarella and Parmesan add a stretchy, savory edge, and fresh parsley brings a clean finish. Leaving out the cream changes the broth, and there isn’t a listed ingredient that recreates the same silky texture.
Build the Broth Before the Noodles Go In
Brown the sausage in the pot
Set a 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat and cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it browns. Give it 6–8 minutes, until the meat is browned and reaches 160°F. Break up large clumps as you go so you don’t end up with a few oversized pieces in each bowl. Leave the browned sausage in the pot for the next stage.
Soften the aromatics and cook the paste
Add the diced onion to the sausage and cook for 4–5 minutes, until it has softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds; garlic can turn bitter if it stays over the heat too long. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it gets worked through the sausage and onion. The paste should be warmed and evenly distributed before the liquids go in.
Simmer the broth, then cook the noodles
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper, then bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook the soup for 10 minutes so the base has time to come together. Add the broken lasagna noodles and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring often. Pull the pot from the heat when the noodles are al dente; letting them go too soft here leaves them less pleasant in the bowl.
Finish the soup and top each bowl
Take the pot off the heat before stirring in the heavy cream. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and chopped parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls, then add a spoonful of the ricotta mixture to each serving. Keeping the topping out of the pot preserves its creamy, cheesy texture against the tomato broth.
Three Small Changes That Shift the Bowl
Choose hot Italian sausage for more heat
Use hot rather than mild Italian ground sausage. It brings extra spice through the whole pot, while the tomato broth and cool ricotta topping keep the heat from being the only thing you taste.
Leave out the heavy cream for a brothier soup
Skip the cream at the finish and keep the ricotta topping. The broth will taste more tomato-forward and less silky, while the spoonful of cheese still gives each serving a creamy lasagna-style finish.
Keep the cream, skip the ricotta topping
Leave off the ricotta mixture and serve the soup with its creamy tomato broth as the main texture. You’ll lose the cheesy, layered finish, but the sausage, noodles, and broth still make a filling bowl.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate within 2 hours in an airtight container and use within 3–4 days. The noodles will soften and absorb broth as the soup sits.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing the finished soup. The noodles can turn mushy, and the cream may separate when thawed.
- Reheating: Warm leftovers gently on the stovetop, stirring, until they reach 165°F. Avoid a hard boil, which can make the noodles softer and the creamy broth less smooth.
Questions I Get Asked About This Sausage Lasagna Soup
Creamy Lasagna Soup with Ground Sausage and Ricotta
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces, for 6–8 minutes until browned and it reaches 160°F.
- Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the broken noodles and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until the noodles are al dente.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the heavy cream.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and parsley.
- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Top each serving with a spoonful of the ricotta mixture.
