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I first tried this recipe when I was pregnant with Spencer and I was looking for freezer-friendly meals that I could stash away for the crazy newborn days. It has now become a staple in our house because it’s one of those perfect meals for busy parents. With just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep, my Dump-and-Bake Ravioli Casserole is an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!

This ravioli casserole only requires 4 ingredients!

How to Make Ravioli Casserole | 1-Minute Video

This recipe was originally published on the blog way back in October of 2013, but I have continued to tweak it over the years and I finally got around to taking some updated photos. So here we go again — giving some new life to the very first dump-and-bake recipe that I ever shared!

Baked ravioli casserole is an easy dinner with 5 minutes of prep!

I’m not kidding you when I say that this is seriously the easiest way to cook dinner! You just assemble a lasagna-style dish using FROZEN ravioli — you don’t even have to thaw them first!

An easy ravioli casserole with just 5 ingredients for dinner
4 ingredients for ravioli casserole recipe

And with only 4 ingredients necessary for the ravioli casserole, it’s a meal that you can throw together with pantry (or freezer) staples when you don’t have anything else planned on the menu! Great for those hectic nights when you don’t want to make another stop at the grocery store.

Here’s the quick and easy 5-minute preparation for a Dump-and-Bake Ravioli Casserole:

Start by spreading a very thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish (about 9 x 13 inches).

Top the sauce with half of your frozen ravioli. I use a basic cheese ravioli from the freezer section at my local grocery store, but you can substitute with your favorite brand and filling.

How to assemble ravioli casserole

Next, top the ravioli with about half of your remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with half of your mozzarella cheese.

How to assemble baked ravioli casserole

After another layer of ravioli, sauce, mozzarella, and a sprinkling of Parmesan, cover the dish with foil and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes.

You’ll want to remove the foil for the final 20 minutes or so, which allows some of the liquid to bake off and the cheese to get crispy and browned on top. It’s ravioli casserole perfection!

Baked ravioli casserole for a vegetarian dinner

How to Assemble the Ravioli Casserole for the Freezer:

You can prep this dinner in advance and keep it stashed in the freezer until you’re ready to bake it! To do so, simply follow the recipe instructions through step 5. Cover tightly with foil and freeze the unbaked casserole for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to serve it, pull it out of the freezer and bake as instructed. You might need to add a few more minutes to the cooking time, but just keep your eye on it and make sure that it’s heated through before serving. This is definitely a must-have in every mom’s recipe file!

Serving Suggestions

Serve the baked ravioli with any of your favorite Italian-inspired sides. Here are a few options that go well with the casserole:

Recipe Variations and Tips for the Best Ravioli Casserole Recipe

  • Add spinach for some extra veggies in the dish.
  • Instead of the vegetarian ravioli casserole, appeal to meat-lovers with some browned Italian sausage or ground beef in the sauce.
  • If you’re serving a smaller family (or cooking just for 2), cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same, although you may be able to shorten the total baking time by a few minutes.
  • Prepare two smaller casseroles in 8-inch square pans. Bake one now, and freeze the second for a later meal!
  • Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Ravioli casserole is an easy freezer meal

More Ravioli Recipes to Try

Dump-and-Bake Ravioli Casserole

4.95 from 34 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 398 kcal
This easy Dump-and-Bake Ravioli Casserole is a quick dinner with just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep!

Ingredients
  

  • 24 oz. package frozen cheese ravioli
  • 23 oz. (or about 2.5 cups) marinara sauce
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish (or two 8-inch dishes) with cooking spray.
  • Pour a very thin layer of marinara sauce into the prepared baking dish to cover bottom (about ½ cup).
  • Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce.
  • Top with half of the remaining marinara sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese.
  • Repeat layers once, starting with ravioli. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake, uncovered, for 20-25 more minutes or until bubbly and hot in center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

  • Add spinach for some extra veggies in the dish.
  • Instead of the vegetarian ravioli casserole, appeal to meat-lovers with some browned Italian sausage or ground beef in the sauce.
  • If you’re serving a smaller family (or cooking just for 2), cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same, although you may be able to shorten the total baking time by a few minutes.
  • Prepare two smaller casseroles in 8-inch square pans. Bake one now, and freeze the second for a later meal!
  • Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Recipe modified from Tasty Kitchen.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the casseroleCalories: 398kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 22.1gFat: 16.5gSaturated Fat: 8.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 52.6mgSodium: 989.9mgPotassium: 4.5mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7.3g
Keyword: freezer meal, ravioli, vegetarian dinner
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Blair Lonergan
blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

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Comments

          1. Hi, Christi! I would just decrease the total baking time, removing the dish from the oven when the pasta is tender. I would check the pasta after the first 20 minutes. It might only need 5-10 more minutes uncovered. Hope you enjoy!

  1. 5 stars
    I usually don’t comment on recipes I find/use online, but had to this time. Used your basic steps, but had to use products on hand. Made it with frozen beef ravioli, jar pizza sauce, and pizza cheese mix. Also cut ingredients in half for two people, but followed your layering and cooking instructions. Surprisingly it turned out wonderful, even with the alternate ingredients!! Thanks so much!

      1. 5 stars
        Thank you Blair for an amazingly delicious and easy recipe. The only thing I added was a generous sprinkle of dry Oregano on top before baking. I used a jar of sauce marketed by a favorite local restaurant. Yummy!

  2. Can you use fresh ravioli? They have it in the refrigerated section. Also, when can I add spinach and should that be fresh or frozen?
    Thanks soooooo much!

    1. Hi, Erica! I haven’t tested this with fresh ravioli to know the exact cooking time, but yes — it should work. It will just cook a lot faster than the frozen ravioli, so you’ll need to keep an eye on the casserole and pull it out of the oven before the pasta is mushy and overdone.

  3. I have made variations of yours in the crockpot without the cheese for about 3 hours on high. Add the cheese at the end for about 20 minutes. I like the crockpot over the oven in the hot summer months. Yum!

  4. Hi. I am a planner. If I am making this meal for a 6:00 dinner, how soon in the day can I prepare this dish? Or do I have to prepare just before I put it in the oven? Thanks! Jodi from Florida

    1. Hi, Jodi! It should work to prepare this dish any time during the day, and then just keep it refrigerated until ready to bake. The ravioli will thaw, so you can probably reduce the cooking time slightly.

      If you want to prep it more than about 8 hours in advance, I would assemble the dish and then stick it in the freezer. You can bake it directly from frozen (double the total baking time), or let it thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. Hope that helps!

      1. Yes, thanks for getting back to me so quickly! Do you play pickleball? If so, I can return the favor by helping you out there…I teach pickleball… so much fun!
        Thanks again
        Jodi

  5. Wow thanks for sharing!! I looked up what to do with my ravioli, and with 10 minutes the lids and i had this all made and in the oven. Definately going into my list for this next ‘freezer foods before baby comes’ binge.

    1. Hi, Mimi! That would probably be okay, but I haven’t tested it to know the exact timing. I find that pasta does better in the oven at a higher temp, so I prefer to stick with 400 degrees or higher. That said, 350 should be fine, and I would guess that maybe it will take about an hour?

  6. 5 stars
    Fantastic recipe. Straightforward, simple, not a ton of ingredients– and so filling and delicious. I have made this several times, and the fam loves it! Thank you!

  7. Making this for dinner tonight! I got some fresh spinach I’m going to add. Do you think I should cook it first or just layer it in?

    1. Hi, Amanda! I think you can just layer the fresh spinach right in the dish. It will soften and wilt in the heat of the oven. Hope you enjoy the meal!

  8. 5 stars
    This was delicious! I did add some ricotta cheese and fresh mozzarella that I had in the fridge, and I used beef ravioli. I should have invited friends over because it was way too much for two people, but we will look forward to leftovers. A keeper!

  9. 5 stars
    This is so easy and so delicious. I add a little extra sauce, just a personal preference. It’s so easy to change it up. This time I used spinach ravioli. Sometimes I add broccoli to the casserole or spinach. Easy to customize. Absolutely delicious, a staple in my house!

  10. It turned out good, but I had to use a bag and a half of ravioli, (more then 24 oz) and a jar and a half of sauce, (more the 23 oz) in order to do a full 9+13 bake dish..

  11. Hi!
    I would like to double this recipe, prep it the night before and refrigerate. When I bake it the next day, what bake time would you suggest, considering it’s doubled and the ravioli will have thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Thank you!

    1. Hi Shawna,
      For the best results, we recommend doubling the ingredients and making two casseroles as you might have trouble fitting it all into one. Then, cover them, and keep them in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, do so directly from frozen, double the cooking time, and keep an eye on them in the oven!

  12. 5 stars
    I absolutely love this easy and delicious recipe! But there is a typographical error in the last paragraph of the directions, because it says to uncover the ravioli for the last 20 minutes of the cooking time, when the entire cooking time is only 20 minutes. Was it supposed to say 2 minutes? Five minutes? I don’t know! Hopefully someone will fix this.

    1. Hi Jill!
      The total cooking time is 40-45 minutes. The dish will need to bake for 20 minutes covered and 20-25 more minutes uncovered.