Lasagna soup brings all the comfort of a layered baked pasta dish into a bowl that cooks fast enough for a weeknight. The broth turns rich and tomato-forward, the sausage gives it heft, and the farfalle catches little pockets of cheese in the same way noodles would hold sauce in a pan of lasagna. It eats like something slow-simmered, but the whole pot comes together in about 40 minutes.
The trick is balancing the liquid around the bow tie pasta. Farfalle absorbs more broth than lasagna noodles do, so this soup needs a little extra room to breathe at the end. The tomato paste also matters more than you might think; it deepens the base so the broth tastes built, not just mixed. And that ricotta-mozzarella topping is what gives each bowl the lasagna feeling without turning the whole pot heavy.
Below, you’ll find the one adjustment that keeps the pasta from over-thickening the soup, plus the easiest way to get that creamy cheese dollop to sit right on top instead of disappearing into the broth.
The soup thickened up beautifully and the bow ties held their shape instead of turning mushy. I added a splash of extra broth right before serving and the ricotta topping made it taste like lasagna in a bowl.
Save this lasagna soup with bow tie pasta for the nights when you want all the comfort of lasagna without layering a casserole.
The Bow Tie Pasta Trick That Keeps This Soup from Turning into Casserole
Most lasagna soup goes sideways when the pasta keeps drinking after the heat is off. Farfalle does that fast, because the ridges and folded centers grab broth from every angle. That means the soup can go from brothy to overly thick in a short window if you let it sit in the pot too long.
The fix is simple: cook the pasta until it’s just al dente, then serve the soup right away or keep a little extra broth nearby to loosen each bowl. The sausage also carries a lot of the seasoning here, so drain off excess fat if the pot looks greasy before you add the tomatoes. You want a rich broth, not an oily one.
- Italian sausage — This is the backbone of the soup. Mild sausage keeps it family-friendly, while hot sausage gives the pot a little more heat without needing extra chili flakes.
- Tomato paste — Two tablespoons may not look like much, but it gives the broth a cooked, concentrated depth. Let it fry in the onion and garlic for a minute or two so it loses that raw tomato edge.
- Crushed tomatoes plus diced tomatoes — Crushed tomatoes build the body of the broth, and diced tomatoes leave little pieces that remind you this started as a chunky, rustic sauce. If you only have one type, use it, but the mix gives the best texture.
- Ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan — This topping matters. Ricotta keeps it creamy, mozzarella melts into the spoonful, and parmesan sharpens the whole bowl. If you skip the parmesan, the topping tastes flatter; if you skip the ricotta, you lose the lasagna effect.
- Farfalle — The bow ties are sturdy and look great in the bowl, but they absorb broth more aggressively than traditional lasagna noodles. If you want a looser soup for leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl at serving.
What Each Ingredient Is Actually Doing in This Recipe
- Primary ingredient (the star) — Quality matters most. Choose the best you can find.
- Cooking medium (oil, butter, or broth) — This carries flavors and prevents dryness.
- Seasonings (salt, pepper, spices, herbs) — Layer flavors so nothing overpowers. Build depth gradually.
- Aromatics (garlic, onion, herbs) — Cook with fat to bloom flavors. Become the foundation.
- Supporting ingredients — Complement the main ingredient without overpowering it.
- Sauce or liquid (if applicable) — Brings flavors together. Balance richness with acid.
- Acid (lemon, vinegar, wine, or other) — Brightens and prevents flat-tasting results.
- Final finish (garnish, glaze, or sauce) — Prevents one-dimensional taste and adds visual appeal.
Building the Broth Before the Pasta Goes In
Brown the sausage first
Start with a large pot over medium heat and break the sausage into crumbles as it cooks. Let it take on some color; pale sausage makes a flat-tasting broth. If there is a lot of grease in the pot after browning, spoon off most of it before moving on. Too much fat makes the soup feel heavy and can dull the tomato flavor.
Cook the onion, garlic, and tomato paste together
Add the diced onion and cook until it softens and turns translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, until the paste darkens slightly and smells sweet rather than sharp. This step is where the base starts tasting like a sauce instead of tomato juice. If the garlic starts browning hard, lower the heat and stir more often.
Simmer the tomatoes and broth before the pasta
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, dried basil, and red pepper flakes, then bring the pot to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to a steady simmer. The soup should look red and glossy, with the sausage distributed throughout and no raw tomato smell left. This is the moment to taste the broth before the pasta goes in, since the noodles will soften the seasoning a little.
Cook the farfalle just until tender
Add the bow tie pasta and cook until al dente, usually 8 to 10 minutes. Stir now and then so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot or clump together. Pull it off the heat while the noodles still have a little bite in the center; they will keep softening in the hot broth. If the soup gets thicker than you want, stir in a splash of extra broth before serving.
Finish with the cheese dollop
Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and chopped basil in a small bowl. Spoon a generous mound into each serving bowl before ladling in the soup, or place it on top if you want the cheese to stay more defined. The heat from the broth softens the dollop without dissolving it completely, which is what gives each bowl that lasagna-like finish. Season the soup with salt and pepper at the end, after the cheese goes in, so you don’t overshoot the salt.
Three Ways to Make This Lasagna Soup Work for Your Table
Make it gluten-free without losing the comfort
Use your favorite gluten-free farfalle or another sturdy short pasta. Cook it a minute less than the package says, because gluten-free pasta softens quickly in hot broth and can turn fragile if it sits. If you know you’ll have leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl so the texture stays closer to right.
Swap in ground turkey or chicken
Ground turkey or chicken works well if you want a lighter pot, but the broth will need more help from the seasonings. Add a little extra Italian seasoning and a pinch more salt, then taste before serving. You lose some of the sausage’s built-in richness, so don’t skip the tomato paste or the parmesan in the cheese topping.
Make it dairy-free
Leave off the cheese topping or replace it with a dairy-free ricotta alternative. The soup itself is already dairy-free as written, so this is an easy adjustment. A spoonful of basil pesto made without cheese can give the bowl a similar finishing note if you want something extra on top.
Keep the pasta from soaking up all the broth
If you want leftovers that still look like soup, boil the farfalle in a separate pot and add it to individual bowls. The broth stays loose, the pasta doesn’t swell overnight, and reheated portions taste cleaner. This is the best move if you’re cooking ahead for lunches.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store for up to 4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb broth, so expect a thicker soup the next day.
- Freezer: The soup base freezes well for up to 3 months, but the cooked pasta gets soft. Freeze the broth and sausage without the pasta if you want the best texture.
- Reheating: Warm it gently on the stove over medium-low heat and add extra broth as needed. Microwaving works too, but stir halfway through so the pasta doesn’t heat unevenly and turn gummy at the edges.
Answers to the Questions Worth Asking
Lasagna Soup With Bow Tie Pasta
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Brown Italian sausage in a large pot over medium-high heat, then drain fat to remove excess grease.
- Sauté diced onion for 3 minutes, then add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, dried basil, and red pepper flakes, then bring to a boil.
- Add bow tie pasta and cook 8-10 minutes until al dente.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix ricotta, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and chopped fresh basil into a cheese dollop.
- Serve the soup in bowls with a generous spoonful of the cheese dollop; if the soup thickens too much, add extra broth since bow tie pasta absorbs more liquid than lasagna noodles.
