20 Minute Baked Ravioli Casserole

This easy baked ravioli casserole takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and requires just 5 minutes of prep time because you don’t need to boil the ravioli first! Store-bought refrigerated cheese ravioli makes this simple weeknight dinner a reality even on the busiest of nights! It can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen!

 

You Will Love This

• It’s quick and easy! No fancy kitchen gadgets, tedious ingredient prep, or cooking skills required! This is a dump, stir, and bake dish – which is why it’s one of my favorite weeknight dinners! It’s got all the flavors of baked lasagna, but takes just a fraction of the time! If you’re looking for other delicious easy pasta dishes be sure to check out my Creamy Tuscan Pasta, 15 Minute Greek Pasta, and Easy Garlic Tomato Penne. 
• Did you see that ingredient list?!?! It’s short, sweet, and loaded with real foods! This baked ravioli comes together with a handful of common ingredients that you might have in your kitchen right now! I like to keep a package of cheese ravioli in the freezer for nights when the craving strikes.
• Only 5 minutes of prep time!? Yep, you read that right! Get the oven preheated while you’re adding the ingredients to your baking dish and stirring them together. Top with cheese and then bake – you can have this dinner cooking in just 5 minutes.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Fresh Spinach – I love to use fresh spinach in this ravioli bake because it’s a great way to sneak in some veggies. You could omit the spinach or even use another dark leafy green like chopped kale. 
• Spaghetti Sauce – You can use your favorite spaghetti sauce for this recipe! Marinara sauce will work as well.
• Dried Herbs– I like to add dried oregano and dried thyme to this ravioli dish for a little extra flavor but you could also add Italian seasoning or some dried rosemary or dried sage in their place. 
• Garlic Powder – To save prep time for this recipe, I chose to use garlic powder instead of fresh cloves of garlic. Feel free to omit if you don’t have any on hand or add a clove of freshly minced garlic. The bold garlic flavor will mellow as the pasta bakes in the oven. 
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese – You could also use Asiago or Romano in place of the Parmesan in this recipe. You could even just add some shredded mozzarella in its place. I like the salty, nutty flavor that Parmesan adds though. 
• Heavy Cream – A little splash of heavy cream takes this dish to the next level and gives it a creamier texture but you can omit it if you don’t have any on hand. Or use whole milk or half and half instead. 
• Refrigerated Cheese Ravioli – This is one of our family’s favorite brands of refrigerated cheese ravioli. Any type of refrigerated ravioli will work for this recipe.
• Fresh Mozzarella – You could also just add more shredded mozzarella if that’s all you’ve got on hand, but I am OBSESSED with fresh mozzarella and especially love to eat it with pasta every chance I get. 
• Shredded Mozzarella – I prefer to use a whole milk shredded mozzarella as it has more flavor than a part-skim mozzarella, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

Instructions

Add spinach, pasta sauce, water, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, Parmesan, heavy cream, ravioli, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper to a large skillet casserole dish. 

Stir until everything is well combined. 

Sprinkle the ravioli mixture with shredded mozzarella and fresh mozzarella cheeses.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a couple minutes. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan and enjoy!

Tips

• Make sure the ravioli is completely covered by the sauce. This will ensure that the pasta cooks evenly and all the way through. The moisture from the water that you add is going to help thin out the sauce so it can easily coat every ravioli.
• You don’t necessarily have to use uncooked pasta for this recipe. If you have leftover spaghetti, tortellini, penne, or any other noodle, you can still use it in this dish! Just decrease the baking time by about half so that the pasta doesn’t overcook. Repurposing leftover pasta into a baked pasta dish is one of my favorites ways to transform leftovers!
• Feel free to add cooked ground beef to this baked ravioli if you want to add some protein. Just mix it right in with the spaghetti sauce. You could also add Italian sausage or ground turkey.

Types of Ravioli

• The bake time will be different based on the brand of ravioli you use. The ravioli we like to use boils in 4 minutes so it cooks very quickly in the oven. Other brands that have longer cook time will take longer to make as well. Take this into account as you will need to increase your bake time a bit if your ravioli takes longer to cook. 
• You can use any type of stuffed pasta for this dish! Mushroom ravioli, lobster ravioli, and sausage ravioli are some of our family’s favorites. Use whatever your family enjoys!
• You can also use frozen ravioli for this casserole! If you’re using frozen ravioli, plan to add some additional bake time so that the frozen ravioli can cook all the way through. 
• You’ll know the ravioli is done when it is tender and al dente. The best way to know if the ravioli is done is to give one a taste – but be careful, they will be hot straight from the oven!

Make Ahead Instructions

• This ravioli casserole can be made up to 3 days in advance. Feel free to throw it together, cover it tightly and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. 
• Alternately, you could also freeze it for up to 3 months! Just be sure to cover it tightly and ideally store it in a freezer-safe bag. 
• If you’re cooking the ravioli bake straight from the fridge or freezer, you can follow the same recipe instructions but plan to add some additional cooking time. If the ravioli bake has been refrigerated, plan to add at least 10-20 minutes additional cooking time. If you’re cooking it right from frozen, you’ll probably need to add an additional 30 minutes or more.

FAQ

Serve Baked Ravioli With

• Quick and Easy Weeknight Garlic Bread
• Simple Green Salad with Beets and Feta
• Caprese Garlic Cheese Bread
• Easy Cheesy Olive Bread
• Garlic and Herb Olive Oil Dip

Family Favorite Pastas

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This baked ravioli was originally published in January of 2019. It was updated in March of 2021 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions, and tips for making the perfect ravioli casserole every single time!