In a small bowl, combine the basil, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over MEDIUM heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until cooked through. Drain off the excess grease and return the skillet to the heat. Stir in the crushed fennel seed and about half of the seasoning blend. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Transfer the beef to a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker.

Transfer the whole San Marzano tomatoes and their juices to a bowl and use a fork to break up the tomatoes as much as possible. Add them to the slow cooker with the beef. Then, add the onion, garlic, petite diced tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, and the remaining seasoning blend. Stir well to combine.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Stir the soup well, breaking up any remaining large pieces of tomato with the back of a spoon if needed. Stir in the broken lasagna noodles. Cover and cook on HIGH for 40 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.

While the noodles cook, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and a few grinds of black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the fresh basil. Taste and season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each serving with a generous dollop of the cheese mixture and garnish with chopped fresh basil and additional grated Parmesan, if desired.