Ingredients:

  • 1 pound (450g) ground beef, 80/20 blend recommended
  • 1 large onion, chopped (approx. 1 cup / 150g)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28 ounce/800g) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15 ounce/425g) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (15 ounce/425g) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 cups (950ml) beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  • 8 ounces (225g) lasagna noodles, broken into bite-sized pieces
  • 15 ounces (425g) ricotta cheese, whole milk or part-skim
  • ½ cup (50g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup (approx. 50g) chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Instructions:

  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain off any excess grease.
  2. Add the browned beef (or raw beef if skipping browning), onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
  3. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
  4. During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, stir in the broken lasagna noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender.
  5. While the noodles are cooking, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and egg. Mix well.
  6. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of the ricotta cheese mixture.