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Pull up a chair and enjoy my easy Ravioli Casserole recipe! Fresh ravioli is covered in a semi-homemade tomato sauce topped with cheese and then baked until hot and bubbly. Like a cross between Classic Lasagna and Baked Ziti but made in about half the time.
Why You’ll Love This Ravioli Casserole Recipe
Busy weeknights beg for a quick and easy dinner! This easy cheesy baked ravioli casserole is one that the whole family will devour. Fresh and tender cheese filled ravioli, smothered in marinara sauce and topped with gooey melted cheese, this ravioli casserole recipe is similar to lasagna, but with some of the prep taken care of!
Ravioli Casserole Ingredients
- yellow onion
- ground beef– If using 85/15 or higher fat ratio, you may want to drain off the fat.
- marinara sauce– use your favorite marinara sauce.
- petite diced canned tomatoes
- dried basil + oregano– Italian seasoning works great here too.
- fresh cheese ravioli– beef ravioli would also be delicious in this recipe. Fresh is best for this recipe. Frozen ravioli tends to leave you with a watery casserole.
- mozzarella cheese
- pantry staples- salt and black pepper, cold water
Ravioli Casserole Ingredient Tips + Substitutions
Italian Sausage Can Be Substituted For Ground Beef
When it comes to making the sauce for this baked ravioli, it really just comes down to preference. I love using ground beef because it’s what I grew up eating, but if you love the taste of Italian Sausage, use that. Just be sure to drain off any excess fat for ground sausage (or any ground beef over 90/10).
Use Fresh Ravioli
While frozen ravioli can be easier to find at the grocery store, I do not recommend using them in this recipe. As it bakes, it will add too much moisture to the dish and will result in a watery mess. (Ever had a watery lasagna? Not good.) Using fresh ravioli is key to success. It will soak up any extra liquid in the sauce as it bakes and give you a delicious finished product.
Adding Veggies
You can absolutely add some veggies into the sauce if you’re wanting to add in some nutrition for those picky eaters. Some good options would be zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, riced cauliflower, carrots, or bell peppers. Because the sauce is red, most veggies will melt right into the sauce and go undetected, as long as you cut them small.
How to Make Ravioli Casserole
Just 15 minutes of prep time to get this ravioli bake in the oven! For all of the nitty-gritty details on how to make Ravioli Casserole, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.
1. Make the Meat Sauce
Spray a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add in the diced onion and ground beef. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Break apart the meat as it browns.
Once the meat is completely browned, add in marinara sauce, petite diced tomatoes, water, more salt & pepper, and seasonings. Bring to boil, then reduce to gentle simmer. You will want to cook this for at least 10 minutes. It’s ok if it’s a little watery because the ravioli will absorb that extra moisture to cook in the oven.
Pro Tip: If you are using a 85/15 or higher fat ratio, you may want to drain off the fat. Cook the ground beef first, drain fat, then add in the onions and cook the sauce according to recipe directions.
2. Layer the Ravioli
Preheat oven to 375° F. Then spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer half of the ravioli in the bottom of the pan. Next, add half of the sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ravioli, sauce, and cheese.
3. Bake in the Oven
Cover the baking pan with lightly greased foil (to prevent the cheese from sticking) and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Alternately, you can broil for 1 minute.
Let the ravioli casserole rest 10 minutes before serving. Feel free to add a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese to the top of the ravioli if you like a little extra Italian flare!
Storing Instructions
Ravioli Casserole can be stored in the fridge, after it has cooled to room temperature. Place in an airtight container, and into the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven until heated through.
Freeze it! This casserole makes a great freezer meal and can be frozen for up to 3 months! I would highly suggest assembling this dish in a disposable aluminum foil casserole dish, that way you can go straight from the freezer to the oven worry-free!
What to Serve with Ravioli Casserole
Ravioli Casserole goes great with a salad, roasted veggies, bread, or just by itself! Consider making these side dishes alongside to make it a full meal:
- Caesar Salad
- Caprese Salad
- Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Homemade Garlic Bread
- Homemade Focaccia
- Garlic and Herb Pull Apart Biscuits
- Check out my 30 What to Serve With Ravioli ideas
More Pasta Dishes to Try!
Looking for more tasty pasta recipes? Give these a whirl…
- Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce
- How to Make Homemade Ravioli
- Baked Rigatoni Pasta
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Spicy Sausage Alfredo Sauce Pasta
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
Casserole recipes are known to be comforting and feed a small crowd, and this one is no different! You’re going to love this easy dinner recipe! The printable recipe card is down below. Have a great day! 🙂
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Ravioli Casserole
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 25 oz marinara sauce
- 14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes 1 can
- 1/2 cup cold water
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
For the Baked Ravioli
- 30 oz refrigerated ravioli
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese grated
Equipment
- 1 9×13 baking pan
Instructions
make the sauce
- Spray a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add in the diced onion and ground beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Break apart the meat as it browns.
- Once meat is completely browned, add in marinara sauce, petite diced tomatoes, water, more salt & pepper and seasonings. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. You will want to cook this for at least 10 minutes. It's ok if its a little watery because the ravioli will absorb that extra moisture to cook in the oven.
layer the ravioli
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer 15 oz of fresh ravioli in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the sauce and half of the grated cheese. Top with remaining ravioli, sauce and cheese.
bake
- Cover with lightly greased foil (to prevent the cheese from sticking) and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Alternately, you can broil for 1 minute.
- Let the baked ravioli rest 10 minutes before serving.
Hi
I would like to recommend adding V8 juice instead of water. I use V8 juice for soups, stews, or anything tomato based that needs more liquid.
I tried the Baked Ravioli it was delicious. I followed the recipe maybe added a little more cheese.
My family loved it we will definitely bake this again. Thank you for all your recipes you post.
This is very good, especially for how simple it is. Great for those nights when you don’t have time for lasagna from scratch and I love the flexibility. I did ground beef with mozzarella ravioli this time but next time will try sausage with mushrooom or spinach ravioli. Solid recipe…parents and kids agree.
I’m definitely going to try this! Do you suggest cheese stuffed or meat stuffed ravioli. Also, what is a brand that you would use for this? Thanks, Anne
I used a cheese and spinach filled ravioli, but honestly anything that you think would be good could potentially work. There is already meat in the sauce, so the cheese in the filling is a nice contrast.