Weeknight Cooking
30-Minute Lasagna Soup Is the Weeknight Wonder We've Been Looking For
Lasagna loses its layers but keeps its charm (and cheese).
If I'm being honest, I could probably eat lasagna every day. But, if I'm being honest, it’s definitely not something I want to make every day. First you’ve got to make a meat sauce, and a good meat sauce takes time. Then, boil pasta sheets and let them cool. After you’ve assembled the casserole, only after having to check the recipe a few times to make sure you were layering it correctly, you've got to bake for a while and when the bubbly dish emerges from the oven, it rests a little bit longer before you can dive in, Garfield-style.
Don’t get me wrong, lasagna is worth the effort. It’s a labor of love with a big payoff. But it’s hard to pass as a quick-and-easy Wednesday supper. So, how can lasagna be added into the weeknight rotation? By losing the layers. It’s still a whole lot of love but with a lot less labor.
Lasagna soup has been around for a bit. A quick Google search and you’ll find recipes from a few chefs, plenty of bloggers, and multiple publications. It’s got a few different names, too, like “lasagna stew” or “lazy lasagna.” Fast casual restaurant chain Hale and Hearty sells their version, called “Broken Lasagna Soup,” to hungry, soup-slurping New Yorkers during the lunch time rush.
I made a layer-less lasagna on the first really cold day of the year, riffing off of recipes I’d found on the internet. It was a hit. The second time I made it, shortly after having made the first, I took notes and made a few tweaks. This time, instead of boiling the noodles separately, I added them directly into the soup along with a little extra liquid. Without even realizing it I’d turn an already simple meal into an even simpler one-pot supper.
Breaking the noodles involves a little technique. To avoid projectile pasta pieces (you’d be surprised at how abruptly the noodles snap!) I use a tip I learned from a food stylist many years ago. Wrap the lasagna sheets in a kitchen towel and use the edge of the counter to break them. They snap a little bit more evenly, which is key to evenly cooked pasta, and more importantly, don't send sharp noodle shards flying across the kitchen.
Even though this lasagna is less traditional than most, it does not skip out on the cheese (that would be blasphemous). Instead of cheesy layers, this lazy version gets topped with a ricotta cream, made with fresh ricotta, a splash of heavy cream, and plenty of grated parmesan cheese.
Once the soup is spooned into bowls and dolloped with creamy ricotta, it gets a little fresh parsley, some torn basil and, obviously, more parmesan cheese. Much like it’s layered counterpart, this dish is as enjoyable in a bowl as it is in a plate.
| 1 | pound lasagna noodles |
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 1 | pound ground beef |
| 1 | onion, chopped |
| 4 | garlic cloves, chopped |
| 1 | tablespoon kosher salt |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons dried oregano |
| 1/2 | teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste |
| 2 | tablespoons tomato paste |
| 1 | (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes |
| 1 | (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes |
| 1 | (16-ounce) container ricotta |
| 1/4 | cup heavy cream |
| 1/2 | cup finely grated Parmesan, plus shavings for topping |
| Chopped parsley, for topping | |
| Torn basil, for topping |
| 1 | pound lasagna noodles |
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 1 | pound ground beef |
| 1 | onion, chopped |
| 4 | garlic cloves, chopped |
| 1 | tablespoon kosher salt |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons dried oregano |
| 1/2 | teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste |
| 2 | tablespoons tomato paste |
| 1 | (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes |
| 1 | (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes |
| 1 | (16-ounce) container ricotta |
| 1/4 | cup heavy cream |
| 1/2 | cup finely grated Parmesan, plus shavings for topping |
| Chopped parsley, for topping | |
| Torn basil, for topping |
A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).
Order now
Written by: Grant Melton
Popular on Food52
11 Comments
Join The Conversation