This easy ravioli bake is comfort food at its best! Featuring tender ravioli, a flavorful tomato sauce loaded with fresh herbs, roasted zucchini, and lots of gooey cheese, everyone will love this make-ahead dinner recipe, and it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Love pasta? Then salmon pasta, chicken penne alla vodka, and penne mac and cheese will be a hit!
Easy baked ravioli
The textures and flavors in this ravioli bake are out-of-this-world delicious! Tasty cheese ravioli are cooked in a chunky tomato sauce seasoned with tons of fresh herbs and baked under a layer of gooey, melty cheese.
It’s the perfect dish for those nights you’re craving homemade comfort food.
And bonus: No need to boil the ravioli – they cook as they bake, which means less work for you! Plus, you can prepare the casserole ahead of time and bake when needed.
Be sure to serve this with garlic bread, and try our gnocchi bake and ravioli soup next!
Ingredients
- 20 oz refrigerated ravioli – I used Rana refrigerated 4-cheese ravioli, but you can select any filling you like. You can also use frozen ravioli, just add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
- 2 large zucchini, chopped into 1/3-inch rounds
- 1/4 cup olive oil – to sauté the veggies. Feel free to use vegetable oil or another cooking oil.
- 1 large yellow onion, diced – White or red onion is okay too.
- 4 cloves garlic, minced – Use more or less according to your taste, or substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- 1 x 28 oz can crushed tomatoes – I love the chunky texture of crushed tomatoes. However, marinara sauce or pasta sauce will also work.
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded – I recommend whole milk, low moisture mozzarella. Shredded it from a block so it melts and tastes the best.
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Variations
- Choice of ravioli: Don’t hesitate to try other filling options.
- Meat: Feel free to add your favorite protein, such as cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, or shredded chicken. 2 to 3 cups is plenty.
- Spinach: Stir in 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves when adding the garlic, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until wilted.
- Extra veggies: You may add 1 to 2 cups cooked or sauteed vegetables to your ravioli casserole. Peas, carrots, corn, or broccoli are good options.
- Cheese: Swap another melty cheese like cheddar, Swiss, gruyere, Provolone, or Fontina cheese.
- Creamy sauce: Stir 1 cup ricotta cheese into the sauce for extra creaminess.
- Red pepper flakes: If you enjoy a little heat, season the tomato sauce with 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Instructions
1. Prepare for baking
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Sauté vegetables
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced zucchini and onion and cook until softened and golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
3. Simmer sauce
Pour the crushed tomatoes and broth into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and parsley.
4. Assemble
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the ravioli into the sauce. Pour the ravioli and sauce into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Don’t boil the ravioli before you make the ravioli bake. The ravioli cook perfectly in the oven, absorbing moisture and rich flavor from the tomato sauce. This method saves time and elevates the taste and texture of the ravioli.
5. Bake
Place the casserole dish into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Broil: You can broil the casserole for the last minute of baking if you love a crispy cheese topping.
6. Serve
Serve the ravioli bake warm and hand with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. Enjoy!
We love serving ravioli bake with caprese salad, mayo garlic bread, and roasted asparagus salad.
Make-ahead
- Fridge: Assemble the ravioli bake as outlined and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Before baking, let the casserole sit on the counter for 30 minutes or add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
- Freezer: Prepare the casserole as indicated and double-wrap it in plastic wrap and heavy-duty foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, let the dish fully thaw in the fridge overnight. Then let it warm on the counter for half an hour or add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Store & reheat
- Store: Let leftovers cool completely. Then, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave in 1-minute bursts until heated through.
More delicious casserole recipes
Ravioli Bake Recipe
This easy ravioli bake is comfort food at its best! Featuring tender ravioli, a flavorful tomato sauce loaded with fresh herbs, roasted zucchini, and lots of gooey cheese, everyone will love this make-ahead dinner recipe, and it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 20 oz / 560 g refrigerated ravioli, uncooked
- 2 large zucchini, chopped into 1/3-inch / 1 cm rounds
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml / 2 fl oz olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 cup / 10 g / 0.4 oz fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup / 5 g / 0.2 oz fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 8 oz / 225 g part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup / 45 g / 1.6 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Instructions
- Prepare for baking. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4. Grease a 9x13-inch / 23x33 cm baking dish with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced zucchini and onion and cook until softened and golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Simmer sauce. Pour the crushed tomatoes and broth into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and parsley.
- Assemble. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the ravioli into the sauce. Pour the ravioli and sauce into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Place the casserole dish into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
- Serve. Serve the ravioli bake warm and hand with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Don’t boil the ravioli before you make the ravioli bake. The ravioli cook perfectly in the oven, absorbing moisture and rich flavor from the tomato sauce. This method saves time and elevates the taste and texture of the ravioli.
Broil: You can broil the casserole for the last minute of baking if you love a crispy cheese topping.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 273Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 790mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 18g
