Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Brown sausage
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the Italian sausage, breaking it into crumbles until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
Sauté aromatics and build the broth
- Sauté the diced onion in the same pot for 4 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then keep it at a steady simmer.
Cook the noodles
- Add the broken lasagna noodles and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are cooked through and tender. Keep the soup at a gentle bubbling simmer.
- Season the soup generously with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust so the broth is well balanced.
Make the ricotta-mozzarella cheese mixture
- Mix the whole milk ricotta, shredded whole milk mozzarella, freshly grated parmesan, fresh basil chiffonade, pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper together until well combined. The mixture should be thick and scoopable with no dry pockets.
Serve
- Ladle the soup into bowls and drop a very large dollop of the cheese mixture into each bowl. Let it melt into the hot soup for a creamy, lasagna-style finish.
Notes
Pro tip: Simmer gently once the noodles go in—too vigorous a boil can make the noodles split. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat on the stovetop over low until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the noodles can soften too much. For a lighter option, use turkey Italian sausage and part-skim mozzarella while keeping the ricotta mixture proportions the same.