Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Brown the sausage
- Heat a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the Italian sausage until cooked through and no longer pink. Drain off excess fat, then add the sausage to the Crockpot.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic, then set aside for the soup base.
Build the tomato broth
- Add the onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef or chicken broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes, and oregano to the Crockpot. Stir to combine until the tomato paste is evenly mixed in.
Slow-cook
- Cook on Low for 5-7 hours, or until the flavors meld and the broth is hot and fragrant. If you need to speed it up, cook on High for 3-4 hours instead.
- In the last 30 minutes, add the broken lasagna noodles and increase to High if you started on Low. Cook until the noodles are tender, then stop heating.
Finish and serve
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, then stir to evenly distribute the seasoning.
- Mix the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil together to make the cheese dollop.
- Serve the soup with a generous spoonful of the cheese dollop in each bowl.
Notes
Pro tip: If your Crockpot runs hot, keep an eye on the last 30 minutes so the lasagna noodles stay tender (not mushy). Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently until steaming. Freezing is not recommended because lasagna noodles can soften further in the freezer. For a lighter option, use turkey Italian sausage and reduced-fat mozzarella in the dollop.
