This easy lasagna soup by 'The Pioneer Woman' star Ree Drummond is one of my favorite fall dishes

Ree Drummond's lasagna soup is the perfect dinner for chilly nights. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider There isn't much to love about colder weather, at least in my humble opinion. But one thing I can always get behind is the full embrace of comfort food.And what's more comforting than pasta or soup? Well, what about pasta and soup?After seeing lasagna soup all over my social media feeds, I decided it was finally time to try the dish. And who better to lead the way than Ree Drummond, aka the Pioneer Woman? Ree Drummond's lasagna soup comes packed with meat, herbs, and cheese. Ingredients for Ree Drummond's lasagna soup. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider To make 8-10 servings of Drummond's lasagna soup, you'll need:12 uncooked lasagna noodles1 pound of ground beef1 pound of pork sausage, casings removed1 14.5-ounce can of whole tomatoes with juice1 yellow onion, halved and sliced4 garlic cloves, minced2 sprigs of thyme, minced1 sprig of oregano, minced4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock¾ cup of white wine (or stock)½ cup of heavy cream¼ cup of olive oil3 tablespoons of tomato paste1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, plus more for servingFor the ricotta dumplings, you'll need:1 cup of whole-milk ricotta cheese½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese1 tablespoon of minced parsley1 tablespoon of minced basil, plus more for garnish½ teaspoon of kosher salt½ teaspoon of black pepper I began by chopping all my herbs and veggies. First, I chopped my veggies and herbs. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Compared to some soups I've made, such as Ina Garten's chicken chili, there's very little required prep for Drummond's recipe.All I had to do was slice the onions, chop some parsley, and mince my garlic, thyme, and oregano. I added olive oil to a big pot and threw in my onion, garlic, oregano, and thyme. I cooked my onions with the herbs for two minutes. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I cooked the veggies and herbs over medium heat for about two minutes, stirring occasionally, until they began to soften. I threw the beef and pork into the pot, seasoning them with salt and pepper. I seasoned the beef and pork with salt and pepper. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I increased the heat to medium-high before adding the ground beef and sausage. I let the meat cook for about five minutes. Cooking the meat. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I broke up the beef and sausage with a meat masher, which made this step super quick. A wooden spoon would also do the trick.Drummond recommends draining off "at least half of the grease" once your meat is ready. I added the tomato paste, letting it cook for a minute before I added the white wine. I added white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I stirred everything together again, allowing the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Then I threw in the can of whole tomatoes with their juice. I crushed the tomatoes with a wooden spoon after adding them to the pot. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Drummond's recipe calls for a 14.5-ounce can, but I could only find 28-ounce cans at the store. I decided to use the entire can so my soup would have even more broth.I crushed the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon as I stirred everything together. I also added the chicken stock. Then I added the chicken stock. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I used store-bought stock when I tested this recipe, but if you have extra time, homemade chicken stock would make it even better. I added the parsley, then brought my broth to a boil. I let my soup simmer for 20 minutes. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Once my soup was boiling, I reduced the heat so it could simmer.Drummond recommends simmering your soup for 20 minutes. I had some extra time and wanted the flavors to develop a little longer, so I opted for 40 minutes instead. While my soup was simmering, I cooked the lasagna noodles. I cooked my lasagna noodles for about nine minutes. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Drummond's recipe calls for 12 lasagna noodles, but I used the entire box. I have a strict No Noodle Left Behind policy.I filled a pot with salted water and brought it to a boil, breaking the noodles into smaller pieces as I added them.Drummond says you should let the noodles cook for about a minute less than the package instructions, until they're almost tender, so I cooked my pasta for nine minutes total.After draining the noodles, I drizzled some olive oil on top to prevent them from sticking together. I had a feeling my broth would need far more liquid once I added the noodles, so I also saved the pasta water. I also prepped the herbs for my ricotta dumplings. I minced the parsley and basil for my ricotta dumplings. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider All I needed to do was mince some more parsley and basil. Once the soup finished simmering, I added the heavy cream. Then I added the heavy cream to my soup. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider My soup was almost ready! I made the ricotta dumplings while the soup continued to simmer. I formed a big ball with the ricotta mixture and used a teaspoon to help mold the small dumplings. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I added the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses to a bowl, along with the chopped parsley and basil.I seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper and stirred everything together, molding it into one big ball I could scoop my little dumplings out of. I served each bowl with dollops of ricotta dumplings, plus a sprinkle of basil on top. My lasagna soup looked so comforting. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I loved how the ricotta dumplings popped against the deep-red broth of the soup, and the sprinkle of basil on top was a nice touch. The curves of the lasagna noodles peeking through the surface made my bowl look especially inviting.I opted for small dumplings because I liked their presentation, but you could also use big dollops if you prefer. The Pioneer Woman's lasagna soup is perfect for a chilly night. I would definitely make the Pioneer Woman's lasagna soup again. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I made Drummond's lasagna soup for my fiancé, who called it "the best of both worlds." That first spoonful of meat, pasta, and cheese instantly warmed our souls.The broth needed a little more salt to taste, but it went so well with the creamy ricotta dumplings. I recommend really mixing them into the broth to give your soup even more of a flavor punch, and make sure to break the noodles into smaller pieces so they're easier to pick up with each spoonful.Whether you're looking to de-stress or want a cozy night in, Drummond's lasagna soup is the comfort dinner of dreams. Read next Anneta Konstantinides is a lifestyle correspondent at Business Insider, with a focus on food and travel. She loves taking readers inside Michelin-starred kitchens and exploring the world of fine-dining, and she's always trying to find the best Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay recipes. Her second home is LAX, where she's often catching a flight and reviewing airlines.Anneta has also been reporting on the pageant industry for the last six years and has interviewed every Miss USA and Miss Universe winner since 2019. She was a finalist at the LA Press Club Awards for her investigation into the 2022 Miss USA scandal and was featured in The New York Times Presents episode "How to Fix a Pageant" on Hulu in September 2023. After graduating from UCLA with a B.A in English Literature and a minor in film & television, Anneta worked as a journalist in London, Sydney, New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. You can reach Anneta at akonstantinides@businessinsider.com. Food