3 ingredients and 30 minutes are all you need to make Baked Ravioli! This quick and easy ravioli recipe is a breeze to make for dinner and your family will love it. You only need one casserole dish to bake these tender ravioli covered with marinara and melted mozzarella cheese.
Homemade Baked Ravioli Recipe
If you’re craving comforting Italian food but you’re short on time, this Baked Ravioli recipe is PERFECT. As mentioned above, it has just three ingredients to it: rich marinara sauce, tender raviolis of your choice, and gooey, shredded mozzarella cheese.
Baked ravioli is fast becoming a family favorite for us – everyone runs to the table every time we make it! Nobody can resist cheesy ravioli, especially if it comes with a side of crusty garlic bread. So, if you’ve got picky eaters in the household, this recipe is sure to win them over.
To recap, this ravioli recipe comes together in no time, it’s made with simple ingredients, and it’s sure to capture the heart of anyone who tries it. That’s pretty much the definition of a dinnertime win, don’t you think?
Why You’ll Love This Ravioli Recipe
If you’re not yet convinced that this baked pasta recipe is for you, we’ve got a couple more pitches to make on its behalf:
- Taste: Homey marinara sauce seasoned with dried herbs mixes with gooey, freshly shredded mozzarella in each bite of this cheesy ravioli, and it’s truly heavenly. You’ll feel so full and satisfied by the time your plate is empty.
- Budget Friendly: It doesn’t get much simpler than three ingredients! Keep the grocery list short and the counter uncluttered by adding this ravioli recipe to your meal plan.
- One Dish: You do NOT have to cook the ravioli! This dinner is made in one casserole dish. Just add everything to your baking dish and into the oven it goes.
- Flexible: It’s so easy to switch up the flavors in this meal! You can use different kinds of ravioli (cheese, veggie-filled, etc.), add different herbs and spices to your marinara sauce, swap out the marinara for alfredo sauce and more.
What You’ll Need
You’ve probably memorized the key ingredients for this recipe by now, but here’s a little more information even so. If you’re looking for the exact amounts required for each ingredient, scroll on down to the recipe card below.
- Marinara Sauce: Store-bought or Homemade Marinara Sauce both work, it’s up to you. We’re big fans of the homemade variety, though – the flavors are so bold and fresh!
- Fresh Ravioli: Buy the kind kept in the refrigerator section, and use whatever flavor of raviolis you enjoy. I used portobello mushroom stuffed raviolis.
- Shredded Fresh Mozzarella: Use fresh mozzarella for the best cheesy melt. Shredded cheese in the bag does not melt as nicely. But if you are in a hurry, we get it.
- Optional Garnishes: While not necessary, we love a little fresh basil and some grated parmesan cheese sprinkled right on top. They add a lot of flavor!
How to Make Baked Ravioli
Alright, let’s get into how this Italian dinner recipe comes together. Essentially, it comes down to layers constructed of sauce, pasta, and cheese:
- Preheat Oven to 350°F: Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Spread the Sauce: Add your marinara sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Add the Raviolis: Lay the raviolis flat on the sauce, trying not to overlap them. If you have a few extras leftover, put them aside.
- Spoon the Marinara Over the Raviolis: If you had extra raviolis, spread them over the top of the other sauced raviolis. Then add sauce to cover the rest of the casserole. Top everything evenly with a healthy dose of shredded mozzarella!
- Bake the Pasta: Cover the casserole with foil and bake it in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot. (The cheese should be melted and bubbling.) Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips for Success
And that’s all there is to it! Well… mostly, anyway. There are a of couple tips that we’d like to share with you quickly:
- Add Veggies: If you want to mix in some vegetables to this pasta dish, add fresh spinach below the layer of raviolis. It will cook great and add a lot of healthy vitamins and nutrients to your dinner.
- Using Refrigerated vs Frozen Pasta: If you use refrigerated pasta, it cooks faster. You can also use frozen ravioli, but you will need to add more baking time (about 20 minutes more in cooking time).
- How to Pick a Marinara Sauce: If you buy your marinara sauce, check out the ingredients. Try and buy one that doesn’t have added sugar.
- Broil the Ravioli: If you’d like to toast/brown the cheese, place the baking dish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.
- Alfredo: If you prefer, you can swap out the marinara sauce for alfredo sauce. You can use our favorite Homemade Alfredo Sauce or your favorite jarred alfredo sauce (we find Rao’s to be the best store bought alfredo sauce).
What Goes With Baked Ravioli?
Baked ravioli is a pretty filling meal, but there are definitely sides that you can serve with it. Here are some of our favorites:
- Garlic Bread: Crusty garlic bread pairs perfectly with any Italian dish, as do buttered rolls. These Cheesy Herb Crescent Rolls would be a nice addition!
- Vegetables: Roasted Broccoli or Sautéed Mushrooms, for example, taste great, especially when mixed into the extra marinara sauce.
- Salad: A nice light salad, like this Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, is a lovely side dish option that won’t take too long to make!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Another nice part about this baked ravioli recipe is that you can store it easily and save leftovers for later in the week. Here’s how to do that:
- To Store: Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: When reheating, you may want to add a little more marinara sauce. You can do this in the microwave (in 30-45 second intervals) or in the oven (until the leftovers are warmed through).
Can I Freeze This Baked Pasta?
Yes! Baked ravioli leftovers can be frozen for 2-3 months in an airtight container. Make sure to thaw them in the fridge before reheating.
More Easy Pasta Dinner Ideas
You can never have too many quick and easy pasta dishes on hand! Here are some of our other favorites:
- Stuffed Shells With Spinach
- Shrimp Alfredo
- One Pot Italian Sausage Pasta
- Taco Pasta
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Easy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Baked Ravioli Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 oz homemade marinara sauce, or store-bought
- 18 oz fresh ravioli, the kind kept in the refrigerator section
- 2 cups shredded fresh mozzarella
- Grated parmesan cheese, optional garnish
- Fresh basil, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Add ¼ cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Lay the raviolis flat on the sauce trying not to overlap. If you have a few extras leftover put them aside.
- Spoon the marinara over the raviolis. If you had extra raviolis, spread them over the top of the other sauced raviolis. Then add sauce to cover the rest of the casserole. Top evenly with shredded mozzarella.
- Cover casserole with foil and bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot and cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
