Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Brown the beef
- Brown the lean ground beef in a large Dutch oven, then drain excess fat to keep the soup from getting greasy. Cook until no longer pink, around medium-high heat.
Build the tomato base
- Sauté the diced onion in the same Dutch oven for 4 minutes until softened, then add the minced garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir so the garlic doesn’t brown.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, then bring the mixture to a boil. Watch for steady bubbling before moving to the next step.
Simmer the noodles
- Add the broken lasagna noodles to the boiling broth, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes until tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and clumping.
- Season with salt to taste after the noodles are tender, then stir and keep warm briefly so the flavors meld. Taste and adjust before serving.
Serve with cheese dollop
- Mix the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan into a thick, scoopable dollop with fresh basil. Add a very generous spoonful into each bowl.
Notes
Pro tip: break the lasagna noodles into small pieces so they cook evenly in the simmering broth. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove until hot and noodles are tender again. Freezing is not recommended because the noodles can soften too much. For a lighter option, use 93% lean ground beef and swap part of the cheese dollop with part-skim mozzarella to reduce calories while keeping the creamy texture.
