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!
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!
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!
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.
Next, top the ravioli with about half of your remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with half of your mozzarella cheese.
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!
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:
- Garlic breadsticks, garlic bread, homemade focaccia, or a crusty loaf of no-knead Dutch oven bread
- Green salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette or Caesar salad
- Roasted broccoli or asparagus
- Sauteed asparagus
- 2-ingredient Italian sugar snap peas
- Sauteed spinach with garlic
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.
More Ravioli Recipes to Try
- Shrimp with Ravioli
- Ravioli Casserole with Alfredo Sauce and Chicken
- Crockpot Ravioli Casserole
- Ravioli and Meatball Casserole
Dump-and-Bake Ravioli Casserole
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.
Janice
Hi,
Can you use Meet Ravioli instead of Cheese Ravioli?
Thanks!!
Blair
Hi, Janice! Yes, any variety of ravioli will work. Hope you enjoy!
debbie hill
GURLLLLLLLL YOU JUST MADE MY NIGHT lol.... it's now in the oven! Gotta be good, too easy!!
Blair
Awesome!! I know, so easy!! Hope you love it!
debbie hill
it was amazing! With a side of peas and garlic bread, what a meal! thank you again!
Blair
Excellent! Thanks, Debbie!
Christi
Do you know how I would adjust this for refrigerated ravioli? Thanks!
Blair Lonergan
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!
Lesa
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!
Blair
Wonderful, Lesa! I'm so glad that it worked with what you had on hand!
Del
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!
Blair
Wonderful! Sounds perfect, Del. 🙂
Penny Rankel
This was excellent thank you I did make change to do homemade meat sauce
Blair
I bet it was delicious with your homemade sauce, Penny! 🙂
Penny Dubart
Can an Alfredo sauce be used
Blair
Yes! I've done that as well. 🙂
Emma
After reading all the great reviews I am heading to the grocery store to pick up ingredients
Blair Lonergan
Wonderful! Hope it's a hit, Emma! 🙂
Erica
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!
Blair
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.
DD
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!
Blair
Great tip! Thank you!! 🙂
Laura
Trying it tonight ! Thank you
Blair
Hope you enjoy, Laura!
Cynthia Dyer
This came out great! Very tasty and easy to make, thanks
Blair Lonergan
Thank you! 🙂
Cindy
I made this to give to new neighbors so easy and made one for my family as well
Blair
Wonderful! Thanks, Cindy!
Jodi
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
Blair Lonergan
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!
Jodi
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
Blair Lonergan
Hi, Jodi! No, I've never played pickleball. I hear it's a good time, though! Maybe in my future! 🙂
Beka
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.
Blair Lonergan
Perfect, Beka! Thank you!
Mimi
Can you bake this at 350 If so how long will it take to cook
Blair Lonergan
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?
Ava
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!
Blair Lonergan
Awesome! Thank you, Ava!
Amanda
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?
Blair Lonergan
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!
Suzie Q
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!
Blair Lonergan
Thank you, Suzie! 🙂