Lasagna Soup with Ricotta and Fresh Basil: Step-by-Step Instructions

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and press it flat against the bottom. Leave it undisturbed for 3 minutes so it browns properly, then break it up and cook for 3 minutes more.
2. Push the meat to one side, add the onion and cook for 4 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute, just until it smells sweet.
3. Add the tomato paste, the oregano, the dried basil and the chilli flakes. Stir constantly for 2 minutes. The paste should darken and lose its sharp edge; this is what gives the broth its depth.
4. Pour in both tins of tomatoes and the stock, scrape the bottom of the pot clean and bring everything to a gentle simmer. Let it cook uncovered for 15 minutes so the flavours come together.
5. While the broth simmers, make the ricotta topping: mix the ricotta with half the parmesan and a little black pepper in a small bowl.
6. Break the lasagna sheets into pieces roughly the size of a playing card and drop them into the simmering pot. Stir every couple of minutes so they do not stick together, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until tender.
7. Taste the broth and adjust. Tinned tomatoes vary a lot in acidity: if it tastes sharp, a teaspoon of honey rounds it off better than more seasoning.
8. Stir in most of the torn basil and the rest of the parmesan, then take the pot off the heat.
9. Ladle into bowls, drop a generous spoonful of the ricotta mixture in the middle of each, scatter the mozzarella and the last of the basil over the top, and serve straight away while the cheese is still soft.

Recipe Variations

White lasagna soup. Use chicken, chicken stock and a splash of cream instead of beef and tomatoes, and finish with lemon zest.

Spicy sausage. All Italian sausage, double chilli flakes, and a spoonful of ricotta to cool it down.

With spinach. Two big handfuls of baby spinach stirred in at the end wilt in a minute and make it feel lighter.

Cheesy top. Ladle into oven-proof bowls, cover with mozzarella and put them under the grill for two minutes for a baked-lasagna crust.

Gluten free. Use gluten-free lasagna sheets and add them for the last 8 minutes only, as they soften faster.

Serving Ideas

Garlic bread is the obvious partner, and for once the obvious answer is the right one: you need something to mop the broth. A plain baguette warmed in the oven does the job just as well.

A sharp green salad with a lemon dressing cuts the richness. Keep it simple, because the soup is already doing a lot.

For a crowd, serve the ricotta, the mozzarella and the basil in bowls on the table and let everyone finish their own. It looks generous and the cheese stays soft instead of melting away in the pot.

Keeping It Fresh

Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. The noodles will have drunk much of the broth by the next day, so add a splash of stock or water when you reheat, and warm it gently on the hob.

To freeze, make the soup without the pasta and freeze the broth alone for up to three months. Cook fresh noodles in it when you reheat; frozen pasta turns to paste.

The ricotta topping keeps for two days in a covered bowl, so make a little extra and use it on toast.

Reader Questions Answered

Why do my noodles get mushy in the leftovers?

Because they keep absorbing broth overnight. If you plan on leftovers, cook the noodles separately and add them to each bowl, or hold back half the broth to loosen the soup when you reheat it.

Can I use other pasta?

Yes. Mafalda, broken fettuccine or any short ruffled pasta works. Lasagna sheets are simply the closest in texture to the real thing.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Replace the beef with 400 g of chopped mushrooms browned hard in the oil, add a drained tin of lentils with the stock, and use vegetable stock.

Is the ricotta necessary?

It is what makes it taste like lasagna rather than a tomato soup with pasta. If you have none, use cottage cheese blended smooth, or a spoonful of thick yoghurt with parmesan stirred through.

Can I make it in a slow cooker?

Brown the meat first, then cook everything except the pasta on low for 6 hours. Add the broken sheets for the last 25 minutes with the cooker on high.

Wrapping Up

Brown the beef, cook the paste, build the broth, break the sheets in and finish with ricotta. One pot, forty minutes, and the same comfort as a lasagna that took you all afternoon.

Make it once and it becomes the thing you cook when the house is cold and nobody agreed on dinner.

Related recipes: Classic Apple Pie with a Lattice Crust, Overnight French Toast Bake with Cinnamon, Italian Pasta Salad with Mozzarella and Olives, Air Fryer Salmon with Lemon and Garlic Butter, Buffalo Chicken Dip with Melted Cheese.

Learn more: Lasagna on Wikipedia · food storage & safety (FoodSafety.gov).