My easy-baked ravioli is the ultimate comfort food made with a twist. Rather than boiling the cheese ravioli, allowing them to cook in the sauce adds a layer of flavor to these delicious pillows of cheese that will have everyone wanting more.
The tender pasta with creamy filling topped with a robust pasta sauce and perfectly seasoned ground beef will offer a variety of flavors and textures. MY baked ravioli is easy to prepare and is guaranteed to become a family favorite. It’s the perfect dish for busy weeknights, game days, date nights, or a special occasion.
Baked ravioli is similar to classic lasagna without all the work. Just think of this pasta bake as ravioli lasagna. Serve it with a side salad, and garlic bread for a dinner your whole family will love!
If you love cheesy pasta dishes, make sure to check out my Baked Ziti.
Ingredients to make Baked Ravioli
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my easy-baked ravioli recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Made with simple ingredients
- Spaghetti sauce
- Cheese ravioli
- Ground beef
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Table salt
- Black pepper
I used ground beef to make my cheesy ravioli bake, but you can also use Italian sausage, ground turkey or ground chicken. You can also leave the meat out to make this a vegetarian dish.
I used my homemade spaghetti sauce to make my ravioli casserole, but you can use your favorite brand of jarred sauce and kick up the flavor by adding a little Italian seasoning to the sauce. For a touch of heat, add red pepper flakes to the sauce.
I used cheese ravioli, but you can use beef ravioli or your favorite type of fresh ravioli to make this delicious dinner recipe.
How to make Baked Ravioli
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, table salt, and black pepper to a small bowl.
- Mix the seasonings to combine.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add the ground beef to the hot skillet.
- Break up the ground beef as it begins to brown.
- Add the seasonings to the ground beef.
- Stir to combine and continue to cook the beef until well browned.
- Add one-half cup of spaghetti sauce to the ground beef to make a meat sauce.
- Stir to fully combine.
*Remove the pan from the heat, draining off any excess grease in the pan.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add ¾ cup of spaghetti sauce to the bottom of a casserole dish. Then, add a single layer of the frozen cheese ravioli on top of the sauce in the casserole dish.
- Top the ravioli with a layer of tomato sauce and half of the cooked ground beef on top of the sauce.
- Top the ground beef layer with half of the shredded mozzarella.
- Add another single layer of frozen ravioli on top of the shredded mozzarella.
- Add the remaining ground beef, and top with more tomato sauce, covering all the layers of ravioli.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Place the baking dish on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for sixty minutes.
*If you use fresh ravioli, the baking time will be about 10 minutes less.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and uncover.
- Top the baked ravioli with the remainder of the shredded mozzarella and a sprinkle of chopped Italian parsley.
- Return the baking dish to the oven, and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. This is one of my go-to pasta recipes for those nights I don’t feel like spending all night in the kitchen.
Serve my easy ravioli bake with grated Locatelli or parmesan cheese and watch the smiles around your dinner table!
Store any leftover Baked Ravioli in an airtight container, refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Recipe FAQ’s
No, it does not. You can use fresh refrigerated or frozen ravioli to make this recipe, and neither needs to be cooked first. The ravioli will cook in the sauce as it bakes.
You certainly can. Mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini are a few of my favorites. You can also add bell peppers, asparagus, or broccoli to the dish. The vegetables should be cooked slightly and drained of any excess liquid before adding them to the mixture.
You can also add olives, artichoke hearts, or roasted red peppers to the mixture.
Yes, you can. Assemble the baked ravioli in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake it. This can be convenient for busy weeknights or when entertaining guests.
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