Name: Spicy Italian Sausage Lasagna Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 lb spicy Italian sausage; 1 medium yellow onion (diced); ½ bulb fennel (diced (reserve fronds for garnish)); 2 ribs celery (diced); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; ½ cup dry white wine; 4 cups chicken stock; 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes; 1 Parmesan rind; 8 to 10 lasagna noodles (broken into bite-size pieces); ⅓ cup heavy cream; Salt and black pepper (to taste); Ricotta; Fresh basil; Fennel fronds; Cracked black pepper

Mains | Soups

Spicy Italian Sausage Lasagna Soup

Okay, I’m fully aware this is the third lasagna soup on this blog. The Creamy Chicken Lasagna Soup and the Nordic Lasagna Soup are both super tasty, but this one is a bit spicier and for the Italian sausage lovers. Spicy Italian sausage lasagna soup starts with a full pound of sausage browned until it’s nice and golden, and then all that flavourful fat softens the onion, fennel and celery.

The fennel being added to the onion and celery is what maybe excites me most about this recipe — Italian sausage is usually seasoned with fennel seed, so fresh fennel in the base doubles down on that sweet flavour, and the fronds make the prettiest garnish at the end! Then it’s a splash of white wine, crushed tomatoes and a Parmesan rind simmering away until the broth tastes like it’s been going all afternoon.

The lasagna noodles cook right in the pot, just a little cream goes in off the heat, and every bowl gets a big dollop of ricotta. Please don’t skip the ricotta! It balances everything out at the end and completely makes it (in my humble opinion).

If you’re looking for more Soups that Don’t Suck you can check them out here!

spicy italian sausage lasagna soup plated in a bowl

Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

All the lasagna, none of the layering: Spicy sausage, tomato, Parmesan and ricotta in every spoonful, without boiling noodles separately or waiting on anything to bake.
One pot: The sausage, the base and the noodles all cook in the same pot, so cleanup is one pot and a ladle.
Fennel two ways: Diced fennel melts into the base for sweetness, and the fronds go on top for something fresh and green.
The ricotta dollop: Cool, creamy ricotta against a hot, spicy tomato broth. Stir it in or eat around it, both are correct.

Prep for Spicy Italian Sausage Lasagna Soup:

Dice the onion, fennel and celery. Save the fennel fronds for garnish.
Mince the garlic.
If your sausage is in links, slice open the casings and squeeze the meat out.
Break the lasagna noodles into bite-size pieces.
Line a plate with paper towel for the sausage.

How to Make Spicy Italian Sausage Lasagna Soup:

Step One:

Warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage, break it up with a wooden spoon, and brown it until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Scoop the sausage onto the paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and leave all the fat in the pot.

Step Two:

Add the onion, fennel and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.

chopped fennel, celery, onion and garlic sautéeing in italian sausage fat in the large pot

Step Three:

Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and keep stirring for another minute to cook out the raw flour taste. This is what gives the broth a little body later on.

Step Four:

Pour in the white wine and scrape up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer until it’s reduced by about half, around 2 minutes.

Step Five:

Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, Parmesan rind and the browned sausage. Bring everything up to a simmer.

Step Six:

Add the broken lasagna noodles and simmer, stirring every so often so they don’t stick together, until they’re just al dente, 10 to 15 minutes. The noodles release starch as they cook, which thickens the broth, so if it gets thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of stock.

Step Seven:

Take the pot off the heat and fish out the Parmesan rind. Stir in the heavy cream, then taste and season with salt and pepper.

Step Eight:

Ladle into bowls and top each one with a dollop of ricotta, torn basil, fennel fronds and lots of cracked black pepper.

Substitutions for Spicy Italian Sausage Lasagna Soup:

Spicy Italian sausage: Mild Italian sausage works too. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic to bring the heat back. Turkey sausage is leaner, so you may need a little extra olive oil to soften the vegetables.
Fennel: If fennel isn’t your thing, use an extra rib of celery and garnish with more basil instead of the fronds.
Dry white wine: Swap in more chicken stock to deglaze.
Lasagna noodles: Mafaldine (mini lasagna noodles with the same ruffled edges) is a great swap and doesn’t need breaking.
Chicken stock: Vegetable stock works.
Ricotta: A spoonful of whipped ricotta or torn fresh mozzarella on top.

How to Store & Reheat Spicy Italian Sausage Lasagna Soup:

Fridge: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. The noodles keep drinking up the broth as it sits, so reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of stock to loosen it back up. Add the ricotta and fresh garnishes after reheating.

Freezer: To freeze, cool the soup completely before adding the noodles and cream (after Step Five), then freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, bring it back to a simmer, and cook fresh noodles right in the pot before stirring in the cream.

This is the lasagna soup I make when I want the perfect amount of heat in the bowl, and the ricotta cools it right back down. Tag me on social if you try this one out, @britacooks! xx

You can save this recipe for later on Pinterest, or head over to my YouTube channel to cook along with me while I walk through the whole recipe. And while you’re there, you’ll find plenty more recipes to try next!

@britacooks

Mains | Soups