This CrockPot Lasagna Soup recipe turns a traditional baked lasagna into a dinner that it practically cooks itself.
A rich meaty sauce and tender pasta are cooked in a tomato broth and topped with ricotta cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan – no layering required! Serve it with a fresh side salad and a slice of garlic bread for the perfect weeknight meal.
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Easy Crockpot Lasagna Soup
- Flavor: All of the flavor of lasagna without layering or baking.
- Easy Crockpot Cooking: Brown the beef and toss it all into the slow cooker. Set it and forget it.
- Variation: Short on time? Make my stovetop lasagna soup recipe which is ready in about an hour.
- Make Ahead: This recipe can be made ahead and freezes well (add the pasta after thawing).
- Recommended Tools: This is a fairly large recipe so I recommend a 6-quart slow cooker. If you have a 4-quart slow cooker, click print on the recipe below and reduce the servings to 6.
- Total Time:
- 3 hrs 40 mins
- Serves:
- 8 servings
- Rating:
- 5.0/5
Ingredient Notes
- Meat: I use ground beef but any type of ground meat can be used. Be sure to brown and drain any fat.
- Tomatoes: This soup has a rich tomato broth, any variety of canned diced tomatoess will work.
- Pasta: I love mafalda or maflade in this recipe (pictured above) but you can break up lasagna noodles or use any medium pasta shape.
- Cheese: A scoop of ricotta on each serving bowl adds a fresh cheesy flavor while parmesa adds some richness. Parmesan rinds are leftover sections of parmesan wheels and add loads of flavor to soups and stews. You can ask for them at the deli, or cut the rind off a purchased wedge and keep it in the freezer.
DID YOU KNOW? It’s easy to make homemade ricotta with milk and lemon juice or vinegar. You can also swap ricotta for small-curd cottage cheese for a more budget-friendly dish.
Variations
- Omit the meat and double up on extra veggies. Because this is a soup, it’s also a budget-friendly way to use up extra veggies that bulk up the soup.
- Short on time? Toss in frozen meatballs (homemade or prepared) in Step 2.
How to Make Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
- Cook meat, onions, and garlic and transfer to a crockpot.
- Add everything (recipe below) except the pasta and spinach. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in cooked pasta and spinach.
- Serve with optional ricotta, parmesan, basil, and parsley.
- PRO TIP: Cook the pasta to al dente and then add it in Step 3. This keeps the pasta from overcooking in the broth and allows it to soak up the tomato flavor.
Storing and Reheating
Keep leftover crock pot lasagna soup in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (the flavors will just continue to get better)! Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Freeze-cooled portions in zippered bags for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator and add fresh pasta if desired.
More Ways To Love Lasagna
Did you make this Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup? Leave a comment and a rating below.
CrockPot Lasagna Soup
Equipment
- 6 QT Slow Cooker /crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 32 ounces reduced sodium beef broth
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 14.5 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes undrained, 1 can
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms optional
- 2 small bell peppers diced, I use red and green
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 to 2 parmesan rind optional, see note
Add Later
- 6 ounces medium pasta such as mafalda (mini lasagna noodles), or broken lasagna noodles
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach optional
Optional Toppings*
- ricotta cheese shredded Parmesan cheese, fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the beef, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat and transfer to a 6QT slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except for the spinach and pasta. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours.
- In a separate pot, cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions. Drain well.
- Add the drained pasta and spinach if using to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes more. Ladle into individual bowls and add desired toppings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta, Slow Cooker, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Adapted from Betty Crocker
The recipe doesn’t call for lasagna noodles, was this a misprint?
Hi Betty, in this recipe, we call for 6 ounces rotini penne, or bowties. But you can also use broken up lasagna noodles if you prefer. Enjoy!
This is so yummy! Have you ever tried adding ground sausage as well? Not sure how this would be.
Thanks!
A family favorite. Perfect on a snowy evening.
This was sooooo good. I’ve made quite a few of your recipes and each time my husband says this is the best. I need to send more comments because your recipes are amazing
That’s so sweet! I am glad you are both loving our recipes.
I’m Sicilian and have always made a pretty good lasagna. I’m wondering how close to the real thing is this? Ingredients in here that I don’t put in my lasagna. Today I want easy, but if it doesn’t taste like lasagna, I’ll just make a pan. Hubby has been wanting lasagna so hopefully this will satisfy him. I read the reviews and they’re all pretty good. TIA
Hi Carol, I am not sure how close it would be to your lasagna but it has the flavors of lasagna that we love.
I am wanting to make this weekend. My question is my son’s girlfriend is pretty picky so could i make this without spinach? Would it significantly change it
You can definitely leave out the spinach if you prefer, it will change the flavor slightly but will still be delicious.
This looks absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to make it. But my question is. In the list of ingredients. where it says to use parmesan rinds. it says to see note. But there isn’t any notes pertaining to this. What exactly is Parmesan Rinds and can a person substitute shredded parmesan instead? TIA.
Parmesan rinds are rinds from a large wheel of parmesan cheese.
If you ask at the deli, you can often buy a container of them for just a couple of dollars. Store them in the freezer and toss one into sauces and soups to add flavor and richness. Or, next time you buy a piece of parmesan cheese and cut off the rind, just wrap it up and freeze it. If you can’t find parmesan rinds, add a sprinkle or two of fresh parmesan before serving.
Could you use oven ready no bake lasagna noodles? I have extra and thought about just throwing them in the soup the last hour of cooking? Thought this may work better since they don’t boil real well. Thoughts?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Laura. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
It worked out great! I cooked everything on low but for the last 30 minutes bumped it to high and broke up the oven ready noddles in the soup. I also added some red pepper chili flakes for some heat and about 3 tablespoons of sugar to enhance the tomato flavor. Will definitely make again!
I am so happy to hear it worked out Laura! Thank you for sharing your tips!
In your opinion, would Kale make an adequate substitution for Spinach?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I think it should be fine. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!