Frozen ravioli, cooked chicken, and a jar of Alfredo sauce layer straight into the baking dish, no boiling and no draining required! Five ingredients and about five minutes of prep get you a creamy, cheesy pasta dinner with the chicken and vegetables already built in. The picky eaters and the grownups can all agree on this one!
More easy dump-and-bake pasta dinners:
Before You Get Started
The frozen ravioli cooks in the sauce rather than in a pot of water, so a few details matter more here than they would in a regular pasta bake:
- Seal the foil tightly. The trapped steam is what cooks the ravioli through. A loose cover lets it escape and leaves the pasta firm.
- Don’t skimp on the sauce. Every ravioli needs to be coated. Any piece left dry will bake up tough instead of tender.
- Add the peas at the very end. Layered in from the start they turn drab and mushy. Scattered on before the final uncovered bake, they stay bright and sweet.
How to Make Chicken Ravioli Alfredo
The whole thing is built like a lasagna, just with ravioli standing in for the noodles. You are layering, not cooking, so this comes together fast!
Step 1: Start with Sauce on the Bottom
Spread a thin layer of Alfredo sauce across the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch dish, about half a cup. This keeps the first layer of ravioli from sticking and gives it moisture to cook into from below.
Step 2: Layer the Ravioli Flat
Arrange half the frozen ravioli in a single even layer over the sauce.
Keeping them flat rather than overlapping means they all cook at the same rate. There is no need to thaw them first.
Step 3: Add Chicken, then More Sauce
Scatter half the chicken over the ravioli,
then spread about half of the remaining sauce on top. Repeat the whole sequence once more: ravioli, chicken, sauce.
Rotisserie chicken works beautifully here and saves you a cooking step.
⇢ Any ravioli you like will work. Cheese is the classic, but spinach and cheese adds a nice bit of color and beef ravioli is a nice twist.
Step 4: Cover Tightly and Bake
Cover the dish with foil, pressing the edges down to seal, and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. This is the stretch that does all the real work, so resist the urge to peek.
Step 5: Uncover, Top, and Finish
Pull off the foil, scatter the peas over the top, and finish with the shredded cheese.
Return it to the oven uncovered for about 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and a ravioli pierced with a fork feels tender all the way through.
For browned, bubbly cheese, slide it under the broiler for a minute or two and watch it closely.
Step 6: Let it Rest
Give it 5 to 10 minutes on the counter before serving. The sauce thickens as it sits and the layers are less likely to burn your mouth!
⇢ A squeeze of lemon at the end: One reader adds fresh lemon juice before serving, and it cuts through the richness of the Alfredo beautifully. It is a small thing that makes the whole dish taste brighter.
Try it another way
Want the same flavors with hands-off timing instead of the oven? My Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo gets you there while you are out of the house.
Serving Ideas
Honestly, this one does not need much. The chicken and peas are already in the dish, so you have protein, pasta, and a vegetable in a single pan. But Alfredo is rich, and a crisp salad or something green alongside gives the plate some balance.
If you are feeding a crowd or stretching the pan further, here are some great options:
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
To store: Cover leftovers tightly or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To make ahead: Assemble the full dish (everything except the peas and the top layer of cheese), cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add about 5 to 10 minutes to the covered bake time since it is going in cold.
To freeze: Wrap the assembled, unbaked casserole well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
To reheat: Cream sauces tighten up in the fridge, so add a splash of milk or cream before reheating, if necessary. Warm individual portions in the microwave, or cover the dish with foil and reheat at 350°F for about 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to thaw the ravioli first?
No, and you should not. The ravioli goes into the dish frozen and cooks in the sauce as it bakes. Thawed ravioli tends to get soft and is more likely to fall apart during the long covered bake.
Can I use refrigerated ravioli instead of frozen?
You can, but reduce the covered bake time to about 20 minutes since fresh ravioli cooks much faster. Check for tenderness before adding the cheese.
Can I make this without the chicken?
Absolutely. Leave it out and the dish becomes a simple cheese ravioli bake. Sautéed mushrooms or a few big handfuls of fresh spinach layered in are good ways to add back some substance.
My ravioli is still firm after baking. What happened?
This almost always comes down to the foil. If steam escaped during the covered bake, the ravioli did not get enough moisture to cook through. Re-cover the dish tightly and give it another 10 minutes. Not using enough sauce can cause the same problem.
More Creamy Pasta Bakes
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Chicken Ravioli Alfredo {Dump-and-Bake}
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 24-25 ounces frozen cheese ravioli
- 9 ounces (about 1 ¾ cups) chopped or shredded cooked chicken
- 36 ounces (about 4 ¼ cups) Alfredo sauce
- ½ – 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a 9×13-inch dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the prepared dish, spread a thin layer of Alfredo sauce (about ½ cup).
- Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce. Keep them flat and even so everything cooks at the same rate.
- Add half of the chicken on top of the ravioli.
- Spread about half of the remaining Alfredo sauce on top of the chicken and ravioli.
- Repeat the layers once more using the remaining ravioli, chicken, and sauce, in that order.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil, pressing the edges to seal. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle the peas over top (if using), and finish with the shredded cheese.
- Return the dish to the oven uncovered for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese melts and the ravioli is tender. For browned cheese, place the dish under the broiler for a minute or two, watching closely so it does not burn.
- Let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- Peas go on at the end. You can add them to the layers while assembling, but they tend to get mushy and lose their bright green color.
- Do not thaw the ravioli. It goes in frozen and cooks in the sauce. Thawed ravioli softens too much during the covered bake.
- Seal the foil tightly. The trapped steam is what cooks the pasta. Escaped steam is the most common reason ravioli comes out firm.
- Use all the sauce. Any ravioli left uncoated will bake up tough rather than tender.
- Ravioli swaps. Cheese, spinach and cheese, or beef ravioli all work well.
- Refrigerated ravioli. Reduce the covered bake time to about 20 minutes and check for tenderness before adding the cheese.
- Rotisserie chicken is the fastest option for the cooked chicken.
- A squeeze of fresh lemon before serving cuts the richness of the Alfredo.
- Make ahead. Assemble without the peas and cheese, refrigerate up to 24 hours, and add 5 to 10 minutes to the covered bake.
- Storage. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of milk or cream to loosen the sauce.
Nutrition
Originally published in October, 2016, this post was updated in August, 2026.
My husband can be a picky eater at times! 🙂 Alfredo anything is a favorite of mine, so I know I would love this ravioli. And I think my husband would love it, too. Looks SO good and so easy to make!
Thanks, Gayle! Total comfort food (and so easy)!
Open a jar of sauce and poor it on. That’s not a recipe.
Rude!
Stay classy!
I am using my own sauce I mean you can absolutely Google how to make Alfredo sauce if you dont already know how to do so.
I for one needed this. i had no idea how to put these ingredients together and how to cook them.
Thank you, Alizabeth! We’re glad you found it helpful.
Yet here you are commenting negatively on a dump and bake recipe how sad is that
This looks so creamy and delicious! Yuuuummm! <3
Thanks, Kristy!
This recipe looks so good can’t wait to make !! Thanks
Thanks, Ruby! Enjoy!
I made 2 casserole dishes last night. Baked one from the frozen state. Delicious! Put the second casserole on the frige to serve tonight.
Now need advice on
how to cook the thawed casserole? At what temperature and for how long?
Hi Kimberly,
We actually haven’t tested this one as a frozen meal, but it should work! Bake either directly from frozen (doubling the time and keeping a close eye on it). Or, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and proceed as usual. Hope that helps!
Is this a freezer friendly meal?
Hey, Brittany! I haven’t actually tried that myself, but I imagine it would work really well as a freezer meal!
Is there a reason to wait until the end to add the frozen peas? Or can I put them in at the beginning? I just wondered if they got soft enough if they are only cooking in the oven for 10 minutes? Thanks for your time!
Hi, Natalie! You can definitely add the peas at the beginning if you prefer. They will just get darker and mushier than if you wait until the end. The frozen peas are so small that they thaw and heat through almost instantly when you add them to the hot dish. I just like our peas a bright green color and not quite as mushy, which is why I add them at the end. Either way will work great, though!
I Will have an amazing time cooking this for my Mom it looks AMAZING! I Can eat anything Alfredo! Thank you so much. If i like it I will make it for special events! Thank you! ~M
Thanks, Marqus! I hope that you and your mom love it! 🙂
I have it in the oven now I have 1 min left before adding the peas and chesse,I’m also adding bacon.
My children should love it.
That’s great, Jennifer! I hope the family enjoyed it!
Hi, this sounds good. A change from our usual ravioli with red sauce. Can I use fresh ravioli for this? We have a place where we usually get fresh raviolis from. Should I adjust the cooking time too?
Thanks!
Hi, Ally! Yes, you can definitely use fresh ravioli but you will need to adjust the cooking time. I’ve never tested the recipe with fresh ravioli myself, so I can’t tell you exactly how long it will take. You’ll just have to keep an eye on it. The fresh ravioli will cook much faster than the frozen ravioli, though (maybe about 20-30 minutes total)? Hope that helps, and enjoy!
We loved this!!! I added fresh spinach and topped with bread crumbs for crunch. This will definitely be one of our quick go to dinners. Thanks for sharing!!!
Awesome, Kristie! Your changes sound delicious. Thanks for letting me know!
Kristie, adding spinach and bread crumbs sounds great! When did you add the spinach? Could I just used the bagged spinach meant for salads? Now you’ve got me thinking about adding asparagus, one of my faves, this recipe lends itself to lots of tasty twists!
This is simple, with no surprises & that’s a plus. I like peas, but nixed them here. I also added more chicken because I have frozen shredded chicken in 1# bags. I mixed in a teaspoon of Italian seasoning & used 1.5 cups of Italian blend cheese. along with a teaspoon of my cheesy seasoning salt. I did back off on the Alfredo sauce & used two 15 oz. jars. because I thought it would be enough & didn’t want an opened jar in the fridge. I think this would fit easily into a 9X9 pan & possibly work better..
I tried to rate this but it wouldn’t take. Still, 4 stars & from me that’s high praise!
Thanks, Sam!
I want to try this recipe. My 8 year old grandson lives with me and he doesn’t like peas. Do you think it would work with zucchini and should it be frozen? Thanks!
Hi, Gay! That’s no problem — you can either just omit the peas and prepare the dish without them, or you can try subbing the zucchini instead. The zucchini will release a bit more water than the peas, which will thin the sauce some, but I still think it will work fine. Enjoy! 🙂
Just finished making this it was easy and very good! I cut the recipe down for one using a 5×7 dish so have leftovers but not for a week. So many ways you can change it up. Thanks for posting it!
Awesome, Lorie!
Boyfriend had the taste for ravioli at the last minute so like anyone, I consulted Pinterest… definitely made the right choice. One hour later and we are stuffed. Thank you!!! Will be checking out your other dump and bake dinners. *****
Yay! So glad that you’ve discovered the magic of the dump-and-bake recipes! 🙂
This looks so yummy. I make a similar recipe with chicken and broccoli. Delicious 🙂
Can I use my o wn Alfredo sauce? Would I need to adjust bake.
Absolutely! You shouldn’t need to make any adjustments to the baking time. 🙂
I have Bocconcini mozzarella cheese. Should I add it before the 30 minute bake or after?
Hi, Uceta! I think that 10 minutes at the end should be long enough to melt the cheese. If it doesn’t melt quickly enough or get brown enough for your liking, you can always pop the dish under the broiler at the end for a minute or two to get the top just how you like it. Enjoy!
Just found recipe will be trying it and other dump dinners soon. Thanks,
Perfect! Enjoy, Julie — there are many others to choose from as well. 🙂
I have made this recipe and it’s great. I substituted broccoli for the peas and it was fantastic and quick.
Thanks, Marc!
I don’t like peas, but thought fresh mushrooms would be a good add-in. Do you think I can add them in the beginning & let them cook with the rest, or should I sauté them or something first & add in later?
Hi, Brandy! Yes, you can just add them in raw at the beginning and let them soften and cook in the oven with everything else. Enjoy!
I’m just wondering should i blanch the ravioli 1 min in boiling water do the ravioli taste gummy if just put in frozen
Hi, Nancy! I don’t think that you need to blanch them first. I haven’t found them to be gummy. Just don’t leave them to bake too long in the oven — that’s when pasta gets mushy.