This Baked Ravioli is the kind of comfort food I love making when I want a cozy, hearty dinner without making a whole lasagna from scratch. It’s rich and savory, with layers of ravioli, hearty meat sauce, and plenty of cheese.
A few simple shortcuts make this ravioli bake dinner so much easier, including store-bought ravioli pasta and jarred marinara sauce. Everything gets layered together and baked until hot, bubbly, and cheesy.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 mins, Bake Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Method: Stovetop and baked
- Main Ingredients: Ravioli, ground beef, marinara, mozzarella
- Flavor Profile: Hearty, cheesy, saucy, savory
- Ideal for: Comfort food, pasta bakes, easy prep meals
Jump to:
Can You Bake Frozen Ravioli?
Yes! If using frozen, there is no need to thaw frozen ravioli so the casserole doesn’t get mushy and soggy. You can easily bake from frozen by adding an extra 10-15 minutes to the recipe’s cook time or until warmed in the center. You can check by inserting a knife or fork into the center of the ravioli bake.
Ingredient Notes
- Cheese ravioli: Either fresh or frozen. For fresh, I use Rana or Buitoni brands, which come in the refrigerated section. If using frozen, just increase the baking time (do not thaw first). Feel free to use any filling you lile.
- Ground beef: Go for 80/20 (20 percent fat) for best flavor and texture.
- Yellow onion, minced garlic, dried Italian seasoning: Our aromatics! It’s a simple way to elevate marinara sauce.
- Marinara sauce: You need one 24-ounce jar. Use your favorite brand here.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: I use whole milk shredded mozzarella because it melts better than part-skim.
- Ricotta cheese: Just a few dollops on every layer add richness and creaminess. I really like it and highly recommend it!
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
Ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card down below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Meat: Italian sausage or ground turkey are great substitutions. Omit if you’d like to make a meatless baked cheese ravioli dish.
- Sauce: If you’d rather make a sauce from scratch, use the bolognese sauce from my Rigatoni Bolognese recipe.
- Veggie add-ins: Diced zucchini, mushrooms, or chopped bell peppers.
How to Make Baked Ravioli
- Cook aromatics and beef. First, preheat oven to 350°F. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Push to one side of the pan, then sauté onions and garlic for just a few more minutes until fragrant.
- Make the sauce. Stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and basil. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Start layering. Spread a layer of meat sauce over the bottom of a square baking dish. Arrange the ravioli in a single, even layer over the sauce.
- Build the next layer. Spoon more meat sauce over, then add dollops of ricotta and sprinkle with mozzarella. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients.
- Finish the top layer. Make sure most of it is covered with sauce so it cooks properly. Finish with a generous layer of mozzarella. Make sure most of the pasta is covered, especially around the center.
- Bake. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes, until bubbling. If using frozen ravioli, add about 10-15 minutes. Uncover and broil for about 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Let cool slightly before serving.
Tips for Success
- There is no need to boil the ravioli, whether you’re using fresh or frozen. In fact, boiling it will only make it mushy and soggy. It will cook in the sauce.
- If using frozen ravioli, add about 10-15 minutes, or until hot in the center.
- Baking pan: An 8×8 square pan, or 9×13 rectangular pan are ideal to build 3 layers of this baked ravioli. I’d recommend using a ceramic pan.
- Place the baking dish on a sheet pan to catch any spills since the sauce will bubble.
- The pan needs to be covered with foil for the steam to cook everything through. For a golden finish, broil the top for 1-2 minutes at the end.
Make Ahead and Freezing
Make ahead and bake later: Fully assemble the baked ravioli up to 2 days ahead. Cover tightly with foil and store in the refrigerator. Bake as directed, adding an extra 15 minutes to baking time, or until hot in the center.
Freezing: Let sauce cool completely. Assemble as directed, cover with several layers of aluminum foil and freeze (unbaked) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and bake as directed, adding an extra few minutes until the center is hot.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator, and reheat in the microwave oven until warm.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, assemble, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bake as directed, adding an extra few minutes to the bake time until the center is hot and the sauce is bubbling.
Make sure they are fully submerged in the sauce so they cook properly.
Yes! Make sure you sauté them first and remove any extra moisture to prevent it from getting soggy.
Tortellini is a good substitute because it’s a stuffed pasta.
Serving Suggestions
Bread and salad! This is a classic combination that my family LOVES! Try it with my Cheesy Garlic Bread and a side of our favorite Italian Chopped Salad or just a simple Greek salad.
More Pasta Bakes To Try
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Baked Ravioli
Equipment
- Square ceramic baking pan 8×8 inch
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef - 20 percent fat
- Olive oil - for sauteing
- ½ cup yellow onion, small-diced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 jar (24-ounce) marinara sauce - your favorite brand
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil - optional
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- 20 ounces store-bought cheese ravioli, uncooked - fresh or frozen, see notes below
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese - plus more to taste
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook beef and aromatics: In a medium skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Push the beef to the side of the pan, add a few drizzles of olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until fragrant, about 3 more minutes.
- Make the sauce: Add the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and basil. Mix to combine and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the layers: To the bottom of a medium baking pan, add a layer of sauce. Then arrange the ravioli in a single layer, follow by more sauce, some of the ricotta, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat to build another layer. Make sure most of the top layer is covered with sauce and mozzarella.
- Bake covered: Transfer the baking pan to a sheet pan to catch any spills. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes until bubbly and hot. Note: If using frozen ravioli, add an extra 15 minutes or until hot in the center (you can check by inserting a knife or fork in the middle).
- Broil: Uncover and broil for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden brown on top.
- Let cool slightly and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ravioli: You can use either fresh or frozen. I think fresh is easiest to work with. I like Rana and Buitoni brands, which can be found in the refrigerated sections, usually near the butter.
- If using frozen ravioli, bake for an extra 10-15 minutes.
- Make sure you bake the ravioli covered tightly with foil to ensure the steam trapped inside cook everything properly.
- Make ahead: Let the meat marinara cool completely. Assemble, cover, and refrigerate (unbaked) for up to 2 days. Then, bake as directed, adding an extra 10 minutes as needed.
- Freezing instructions: Assemble, cover with multiple layers of foil, and freeze unbaked for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed, adding an extra 10 minutes.
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days.
- Ravioli: Use fresh or frozen ravioli, any flavors.
- Ground beef: Italian sausage, ground turkey, or a combination.
- Omit the protein if you’d like to make a meatless baked cheese ravioli dish.
- Veggie add-ins: Diced zucchini, mushrooms, or chopped bell peppers.
Leave a Reply