Rich tomato broth, tender lasagna noodles, and a heaping cheese topping make this Paula Deen lasagna soup the kind of meal that gets scraped clean on a cold night. It tastes like lasagna with half the work removed, and the best part is how the butter, sausage, and beef build a deep, savory base before the tomatoes even hit the pot.
The trick is starting the meats in butter and letting the tomato paste cook long enough to lose that raw edge. That little step gives the broth a fuller, rounder taste instead of something thin and flat. Broken lasagna noodles soak up the broth as they cook, and the ricotta-mozzarella topping melts into the soup instead of sitting on top like a separate garnish.
Below, I’ve included the small details that keep the broth from turning greasy, the noodle timing that keeps them from getting mushy, and a few easy swaps if you need to work with what’s already in your kitchen.
The broth turned out rich without being heavy, and the lasagna noodles stayed perfectly tender. That cheesy topping melted into every bowl and made it taste just like lasagna in soup form.
Save this Paula Deen lasagna soup for a sausage-and-cheese dinner that eats like classic lasagna with a spoon.
The Butter-and-Tomato Base That Keeps This Soup from Tasting Thin
The biggest mistake in lasagna soup is treating it like plain tomato soup with noodles thrown in at the end. The flavor has to be built first in the pot. Browning the sausage and beef together gives you savory drippings, and the butter rounds them out instead of letting the broth taste sharp or one-note.
Tomato paste matters more than most people think here. Cook it with the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes until it darkens slightly and smells sweet, not raw. That short step deepens the whole pot, and it helps the finished broth cling a little better to the noodles and cheese.
- Italian sausage — This brings the seasoning and fat that make the broth taste like more than beef soup. Use mild sausage for a gentler flavor or hot sausage if you want more kick.
- Ground beef — Beef gives the soup body and a deeper meaty base. An 80/20 blend works well; leaner beef is fine, but you’ll lose a little richness.
- Butter — This is part of the Paula Deen-style richness, and it softens the acidity of the tomatoes. If you cut it back, the soup still works, but it won’t have the same silky finish.
- Tomato paste — Don’t skip the cooking time here. Raw tomato paste tastes flat and tinny; a minute or two in the hot pot changes everything.
Building the Noodles and Cheese So They Stay in the Right Place
- Lasagna noodles — Broken noodles give you the right texture without having to layer anything. Break them into rough pieces, not tiny shards, so they hold up in the broth.
- Ricotta — Whole milk ricotta is worth using here because it stays creamy and spoonable. Low-fat ricotta can turn grainy once it hits the hot soup.
- Mozzarella — Shredded mozzarella melts into those stretchy pockets that make the bowl feel like lasagna. Pre-shredded is convenient, but freshly shredded melts a little smoother.
- Parmesan — This sharpens the cheese topping and keeps it from tasting bland. Use the real stuff if you can; the grated shaker version won’t give the same salty bite.
- Fresh basil — Stir it into the topping at the end so it stays bright. If you add it to the soup itself too early, the flavor fades fast.
How to Keep the Soup Rich Without Overcooking the Pasta
Brown the meats until the pot starts to speak back
Cook the sausage and beef together with the butter over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and you see browning on the bottom of the pot. That color is flavor. If the meat steams instead of browns, the broth will taste flatter, so give it enough space and stir only as needed. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot, but leave a little behind for the base.
Cook the onion and tomato paste until the raw edge disappears
Add the diced onion to the pot and cook for about four minutes, just until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another two minutes. The garlic should smell fragrant, not sharp, and the tomato paste should darken slightly. If you rush this stage, the finished soup can taste harsh instead of rounded.
Simmer the noodles only until they still have a little bite
Once the tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, and basil go in, bring the pot up to a boil, then add the broken noodles and drop the heat to a steady simmer. Cook them 10 to 12 minutes, checking near the end. You want them tender but not collapsing, because they keep softening in the hot broth after the pot comes off the stove. Salt and pepper should go in after the noodles start cooking so you can judge the final seasoning more accurately.
Ladle first, then pile on the cheese
Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil in a bowl, then spoon the soup into individual bowls before topping each one generously. The cheese mixture melts best when it lands on hot soup in a serving bowl, not in the whole pot where it can disappear into the broth. If you want the most lasagna-like experience, use a heavy hand here. This is the part that makes each bowl feel like the real thing.
How to Adapt This Soup for Different Kitchens and Leftovers
Make it lighter without losing the lasagna feeling
Use ground turkey instead of the beef, and cut the butter back to 2 tablespoons. The broth will be a little less rich, but the sausage still carries the flavor, and the cheese topping keeps it satisfying.
Make it gluten-free without changing the whole method
Swap in a sturdy gluten-free lasagna noodle and watch the pot closely, since some brands soften faster than wheat pasta. Add them near the end and stop cooking as soon as they’re tender, because overcooked gluten-free noodles can break apart fast.
Make it ahead for easier weeknight serving
Cook the soup base without the noodles, then refrigerate it. When you’re ready to serve, bring it back to a simmer and cook the noodles fresh so they don’t absorb half the broth overnight. The cheese topping can be mixed ahead and kept cold until serving.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store the soup for up to 4 days. The noodles will keep soaking up broth, so it thickens as it sits.
- Freezer: Freeze the soup base without noodles for up to 3 months. Pasta gets soft and grainy after thawing, so add fresh noodles when reheating.
- Reheating: Warm it gently on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water. Don’t boil it hard, or the noodles can go mushy and the dairy topping can separate when added too early.
Questions I Get Asked About This Recipe
Paula Deen Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage and ground beef in the unsalted butter, then drain excess fat.
- Continue cooking until the meat is browned through with no pink spots, keeping the pot hot for the next step.
- In the same pot, sauté the diced onion for 4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and dried basil, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the broken lasagna noodles and stir so they’re submerged.
- Simmer the soup for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lasagna noodles are tender.
- Season generously with salt and pepper to taste, then taste and adjust.
- In a bowl, mix the whole milk ricotta, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil until the topping is evenly combined.
- Keep the topping thick and ready so it can mound on top of each bowl.
- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Top with a very large, heaping spoonful of the cheese mixture so it drips into the hot soup.
