Turn some of your go-to dinners into soup recipes– just in time for winter! Classic Italian lasagna goes from casserole to soup bowl without missing a beat in this comforting lasagna soup. Nothing is missing here from the original, from the sweet Italian sausage and rich tomato sauce to the wide lasagna noodles and creamy ricotta. It all comes together as one casserole meal (no separate cooking of noodles) and takes much less effort (no endless layers or extra dishes to clean). The ricotta “dumplings” with parmesan and basil are the perfect cool, creamy garnish – think of it as the Italian version of sour cream on a bowl of chili! Make this hearty soup on a weekday fall or winter evening, or whenever you like comfort food strikes.
What is the difference between regular and uncooked lasagna noodles?
Uncooked or oven-ready lasagna noodles go straight from box to baking dish in a traditional lasagna. Since this soup does not go in the oven, you can use regular lasagna noodles for this recipe. They will soften as the soup simmers without absorbing too much of the stock.
Can you use crushed canned tomatoes instead of crushing tomatoes by hand?
Crushing whole canned tomatoes by hand may seem like a difficult step, but there’s a good reason for that: a can of whole tomatoes has just the right ratio of tomatoes to tomato juice for the soup. Canned crushed tomatoes would be a little too thick here, and the liquid from canned diced tomatoes would be a little too thin. Empty the can of whole tomatoes into a bowl and gently squeeze to break them down – and you’ve got a real one Italian dinner!
