One-Pot Wonders

Lasagna Soup With Ricotta-Parmesan Cream

by:
October 26, 2021
4.3
11 Ratings
Lasagna Soup With Ricotta-Parmesan Cream
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • makes 4 quarts
Author Notes

This super-cozy, hearty soup has all the comfort of lasagna but only requires one pot and 30 minutes to make. For a heartier version, swap the ground beef for Italian sausage. Be sure to use regular lasagna noodle, not the “no-bake” variety. —Grant Melton

Test Kitchen Notes

Grant Melton, who developed this delicious lasagna soup recipe and is now a supervising producer for Food52, had a lot more to say about why he loves it and some of the best techniques to use while making it. Here are some highlights: "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." —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 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
Directions
  1. Four or five pieces at a time, wrap the lasagna noodles in a kitchen towel. Using the edge of the counter as leverage, press the towel into the counter to break the noodles into roughly 1- to 2-inch shards. Repeat with the remaining noodles. Set aside.
  2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over high heat, heat the oil. Once hot, cook the beef, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened. Stir in the salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Fully refill one of the empty cans with water and add to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the reserved noodles and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the noodles are tender.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, using a fork, mix the ricotta with the cream until smooth. Stir in the grated Parmesan.
  4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of the ricotta mixture, a few Parmesan shavings, and the basil and parsley.
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7 Reviews

seebeth
seebeth February 12, 2024
Great Super Bowl meal. The recipe didn't specifically call for no-boil noodles and since reviews were mixed about this particular element, i parboiled them for three minutes. Really, really comforting, delicious and filling.
 
Adrienne B.
Adrienne B. December 15, 2019
I have to say we really enjoyed this, but I did make a few adjustments. I forgot to get lasagna noodles, so I used the rotelle I already had on hand. I also had some cut up chuck in the freezer, so I browned it in the Dutch oven and put it in the Instant Pot with some beef base, a half a cup of milk and and half a cup of tomato juice from the canned tomatoes for 20 minutes. I made the bulk of the soup in the Dutch oven and added the beef and liquid after the noodles were done. I have never liked ricotta (texture thing) so I always add spinach to it, and I did here, too, a quarter of a cup. I also added some red wine, and then I mixed the ricotta/spinach mixture in and served it with garlic bread. Delish! My son said he definitely wants this again.
 
roseharmon@comcast.net
[email protected] February 12, 2024
So in other words, you completely changed the original recipe
 
Janet K.
Janet K. March 28, 2019
I had trouble getting the lasagna noodles to soften in the amount of liquid of the recipe. I had to keep adding liquid as the noodles soaked up all the liquid and long after 10 minutes, were still hard. This also diluted the flavors even when I added another can of chopped tomatoes flavored with basil and garlic and added tomato paste. I used a Le Creuset pot on the low setting of a Wolf burner and it was still bubbling away and sticking to the bottom. My husband said he liked it but I was disappointed. What did I do wrong?
 
Chris
Chris April 19, 2019
We also had to cook it about 10 minutes longer than called for, but didn’t have to add more liquid. It came out great. We made it in a simple stainless steel pot. Could the pot affect the process?
 
Alex
Alex March 21, 2019
Grant: I think you mean "no boil" not "no-bake".
 
Lauren
Lauren March 15, 2019
This recipe was just as delicious as the baked version it’s based on. I made it with ground chicken instead of beef and added sautéed mushrooms. The tablespoon of salt gave me pause, however, I salted the meat and onions at the beginning so even though I halved the amount called for in the soup the total amount probably came out about the same. A perfectly comforting and hearty recipe to feed my sick family today!