All the comfort of lasagna in 30 minutes, ONE pot, no layering. Ground beef, broken lasagna noodles, marinara, and the signature 3-cheese ricotta dollop on top that makes it taste like real lasagna without the bake time. The Instant Pot does all the work — pressure-cook 4 minutes, done. Family of four thrilled, freezer-friendly, and there’s a stovetop version below if you don’t own a pressure cooker.
Fun fact: lasagna soup started as a Pinterest fad in 2014 — a way to skip the 90-minute lasagna bake on weeknights. It went mainstream after Instant Pot adoption exploded and home cooks realized that broken lasagna noodles cook perfectly in 4 minutes of high-pressure steam. The 3-cheese ricotta dollop on top is what separates a lasagna soup from a meaty pasta soup — without it, you’ve just made minestrone with beef.
Why this recipe works
BROKEN NOODLES, NOT FINISHED. Hand-break dry lasagna noodles into 1.5-inch pieces. They cook to perfect texture in 4 minutes of pressure cooking — no soaking, no parboil.
THREE-CHEESE DOLLOP IS THE MAGIC. Mixing ricotta with mozzarella and parmesan and dropping a spoonful in each bowl is what makes it taste like LASAGNA, not just soup.
BROWN THE BEEF FIRST. Don’t skip the sauté step. Browned beef adds the depth that turns this from “red soup with meat” into “actually tastes like lasagna.”
Ingredients
Serves 6.
Soup base:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb (450 g) ground beef (80/20)
1 small yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups beef or chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
Pasta:
8 lasagna noodles (NOT no-boil), broken into 1.5-inch pieces
Three-cheese ricotta dollop:
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (block, not pre-shredded)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
Serve:
More mozzarella for topping
Fresh basil leaves
Extra parmesan
Instructions
Step 1: Brown the beef (sauté)
Set Instant Pot to SAUTÉ. Heat olive oil. Add ground beef and break it up. Cook 6 minutes until browned. Drain most of the fat (leave 1 tbsp). Stovetop: brown in a Dutch oven over medium-high.
Step 2: Sauté aromatics
Add onion to the beef. Cook 3 minutes until soft. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir 60 seconds until fragrant.
Step 3: Add liquids
Stir in marinara, crushed tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, and sugar. Use the broth to deglaze the pot — scrape any stuck bits from the bottom (CRUCIAL for Instant Pot — stuck bits cause BURN error).
Step 4: Add noodles and pressure cook
Press broken lasagna noodles down into the liquid so they’re submerged. Lock the lid and pressure cook on HIGH for 4 minutes. Quick release the pressure. (Stovetop: simmer covered 12-15 min, stirring often, until noodles are al dente.)
Step 5: Make the ricotta dollop
While soup cooks, mix ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, garlic, and salt in a bowl. Stir until uniform but still has texture.
Step 6: Serve
Ladle soup into bowls. Drop a generous spoonful of 3-cheese ricotta dollop into the center of each bowl. Top with extra mozzarella (it melts on contact), fresh basil, and a snow of parmesan. Eat with crusty garlic bread.
Nutrition information
Calories: 590 kcal per serving
Protein: 32 g
Carbohydrates: 48 g
Fat: 30 g
Saturated Fat: 13 g
Sodium: 1,650 mg
Pro tips for the best instant pot lasagna soup
Use FRESH MOZZARELLA in the dollop. Pre-shredded has anti-caking agents that gum up the melt. Block mozzarella, shredded yourself.
MAKE IT MEATIER. Sub half the ground beef for hot Italian sausage. Don’t skip browning.
MAKE IT VEGETARIAN. Skip beef, brown 8 oz mushrooms + 1 can lentils in step 1. Same depth, no meat.
Freeze WITHOUT noodles. Cooked lasagna noodles get mushy when frozen. Freeze just the broth + beef base. Cook fresh noodles when reheating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use no-boil lasagna noodles?
No — they’re designed to soak up sauce in the oven, not soup broth. They turn to mush. Use regular dry lasagna noodles, broken.
Why did my Instant Pot show BURN?
Stuck beef bits at the bottom. ALWAYS deglaze before pressure cooking. Tomato sauce is also thick, which makes it more prone — keep liquid above the food line.
Can I use any pasta?
Yes — penne, rotini, mafalda, even bowtie. Adjust pressure cook time: penne 4 min, rotini 5 min. Avoid long thin pasta like spaghetti — won’t fit the spoonful feel.
How long does it keep?
3 days fridge (noodles get soft). The broth itself keeps a week. Reheat with a splash of broth to loosen.
Can I add vegetables?
Yes — diced carrots, celery, zucchini, bell pepper all work. Add with the onion in step 2.
