Brown the meat: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, sausage, or turkey until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Drain excess fat.

Sauté aromatics (optional but recommended): Add a splash of olive oil to the same pan. Cook the diced onion for 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Load the crockpot: Add browned meat, onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes (if using), bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir well.

Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours or on High for 3–4 hours. This develops deep flavor.

Add greens (optional): If using spinach or kale, stir it in 20 minutes before adding noodles. Let it wilt into the soup.

Add noodles: Break lasagna noodles into 2-inch pieces. Stir them into the soup, ensuring they’re submerged. Cook on High for 20–30 minutes, or until noodles are tender but not mushy. Stir once halfway through.

Make the cheesy topping: In a small bowl, mix ricotta, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. This becomes your “lasagna” dollop.

Finish and serve: Remove the bay leaf. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a generous scoop of the ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Garnish with chopped basil or parsley.

Taste and adjust: Add more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to taste. If the soup is too thick, splash in a little extra broth.