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Paula Deen Lasagna Soup

Paula Deen lasagna soup is a hearty Southern-American one-pot meal with a butter-rich tomato broth, Italian sausage, and broken lasagna noodles simmered until tender. Finish with a very generous ricotta-meets-mozzarella topping that melts into every spoonful.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 690

Ingredients
  

Italian sausage and beef base
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 8 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
  • 0.5 Salt and pepper to taste
Generous cheese topping
  • 2 cup whole milk ricotta
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 0.5 cup parmesan
  • 1 fresh basil

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the meats
  1. Brown both meats together with the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring until cooked through, then drain excess fat.
  2. Sauté the diced onion in the meats for 4 minutes, until softened, then add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and dried basil, then bring to a boil.
  2. Add the broken lasagna noodles and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender.
  3. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the cheese topping and serve
  1. Mix the whole milk ricotta, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil to form the cheese topping.
  2. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a very large, heaping spoonful of the cheese mixture so it melts into the hot broth.

Notes

Pro tip: after draining the meat, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot before adding the tomatoes—those flavors deepen the broth. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave. Freezing is not recommended because the lasagna noodles and dairy topping can change texture. For a lighter version, use turkey Italian sausage and lean ground beef, keeping the same butter-tomato base and cheese topping.