Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 recipe homemade marinara sauce (or 24 oz marinara sauce)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 9 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves (optional)
- 10 oz ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Cook ground beef and sausage in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Drain grease and remove meat from the pot.
- Heat olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, marinara sauce, spices, and broth. Return the meat to the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then add broken lasagna noodles. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Add spinach if using.
- In a small bowl, mix mozzarella, parmesan, and ricotta cheeses.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with a dollop of the cheese mixture. Garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
- Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- For make-ahead: Prepare up to step 4 without adding noodles. Refrigerate, then cook noodles when ready to serve.
- Freeze without cheese for 2-3 months. Thaw and reheat before serving.
- Vegetarian option: Replace meat with zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow squash.
- Vegan option: Use cashew ricotta instead of cheese and add extra vegetables.
- Substitute any pasta for broken lasagna noodles.
- Slow cooker method: Cook meat and sauté onions and garlic. Combine all ingredients (except noodles and spinach) in a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours, adding noodles 30 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Soup
- Method: Stovetop, Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Lactose
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 521 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 606 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg