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This baked ravioli recipe has cheese ravioli, ground beef, marinara sauce, and melty parmesan and mozzarella. It’s so simple to make and is total comfort food!
If you like baked pasta, you’ll love my Baked Penne with Sausage or this Easy Meatball Casserole.
Super easy pasta bake
This baked ravioli is a huge hit in my home, and I’m so excited to share it with you! It’s especially great because the ravioli cooks right in the oven. That’s right, you guys. There’s no need to boil it separately first! It’s SUCH a time saver, making this an awesome easy weeknight meal. Even your picky eaters won’t be able to resist this one.
I love making cozy pasta recipes like this that have simple to find everyday ingredients. There’s nothing fancy in here. Ground beef is my go-to when I am creating an inexpensive and filling dish. Add in a bunch of cheese, and it’s total bliss. This is a family-friendly dinner, which is important when you’re a busy parent and just want to get supper on the table fast with no hassle! It’s kinda like a lazy lasagna.
What goes into it
- Olive oil – for sautéing the onion
- Onion – I love cooking with Vidalia onions, but yellow or white work as well
- Ground beef – we’re using extra lean ground beef in this recipe
- Garlic – always use fresh garlic cloves vs the stuff in the jar, and you can add more than the suggested amount if you prefer
- Marinara sauce – it’s a big component, so use a jarred brand you actually enjoy the taste of, or make a homemade marinara sauce!
- Ravioli – I used cheese ravioli, but you can change up the variety no problem or even sub in tortellini. I’d add another 10-15 minutes to the baking time if you’re using frozen ravioli.
- Mozzarella and parmesan cheese – these two cheeses combine to make an ooey, gooey masterpiece of a pasta bake! I prefer to grate my own cheese for better flavor and texture, and I use this cheese grater.
Make ahead tip
- You can easily assemble it ahead of time! Simply complete the recipe through step 6, and then tightly cover and freeze the whole baking dish for up to three months.
- When you want to cook it, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake it for a bit longer than suggested. You’ll want to check it’s fully warmed through before the broiling step.
How to make baked ravioli
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Start by sautéing the onions and ground beef in a skillet. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven, and grab a 9×13 baking dish. Once the beef is cooked, stir in some of the marinara sauce into the skillet, and then add the rest to the baking dish. Add the first layer of ravioli. This doesn’t have to be done perfectly!
Add half the ground beef mixture and top with cheese. Then you’ll want to repeat it and do a second layer with the rest of the ravioli, ground beef, and cheese. Cover with foil, bake, and then broil to bubbly, golden cheesy goodness!
Substitutions and variations
- You don’t need to be super precise with this recipe. Use round ravioli if you prefer that shape. Change it up with a different flavor than cheese. Use more/less than 20 ounces. It’s all good!
- Try swapping the beef for ground turkey or even ground pork.
- You can change up the cheeses too. Cheddar would be great, or try Gruyère.
- Instead of using marinara sauce, feel free to use whatever jarred tomato-based pasta sauce is your favorite. You could even add a little Alfredo sauce between the layers for added flavor and creaminess.
What to serve with it
- A dinner roll or a big slice of Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread would be fabulous.
- For something lighter, try this Arugula Salad with Fennel and Cheese or mixed greens with homemade Olive Garden Salad Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge.
- Reheat them in the oven, covered by foil. You could always broil for a bit at the end as well. Microwave will be okay if that’s your only option.
- I wouldn’t recommend freezing leftovers. The pasta will lose firmness, and it just won’t be as tasty!
Will you give this baked cheese ravioli recipe a try? Questions? Talk to me in the comments below!
Easy Baked Ravioli
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 3 cups marinara sauce (one 24 oz. jar) divided
- 20 ounces uncooked cheese ravioli see note
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and move the rack to the top third of the oven. Prep the cheeses.
- Add the oil and onion to a skillet and sauté for 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Add in the ground beef and garlic. Cook it, breaking the beef up with your spoon as you go along, until it's browned and cooked through (about 8 minutes). If there's a lot of excess fat, spoon it out. Season with a bit of salt & pepper.
- Add 2 cups of the marinara sauce to the ground beef mixture (give it a good stir and let it heat through).
- Pour the remaining 1 cup marinara sauce into a greased 9×13 baking dish (spread it evenly along the bottom).
- Add half the ravioli to the baking dish (some overlap is totally fine, but try to arrange it in a fairly even layer), then add half the beef mixture followed by half of each of the cheeses. Repeat this process so you've got 2 layers and it's finished with the layer of cheese on top.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take the foil off and broil for a few minutes so you've got a nice, bubbly, browned cheese layer, then serve immediately.
Notes
- I used refrigerated cheese & spinach ravioli. If using frozen ravioli, increase cook time by 10-15 minutes as needed. You can use a bit less or a bit more than 20 ounces ravioli for this recipe… it doesn’t have to be exact.
- Please see the blog post for make-ahead tips, substitution suggestions, and process photos if step 6 is confusing to you.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’m so glad I found this recipe. I used refrigerated gluten free cheese ravioli. This type of ravioli falls apart completely if you attempt to boil it so this was perfect. Turned out great! My daughter who has Celiac’s disease was so happy to be eating ravioli again!
Wonderful!!! 😀
I made this for dinner tonight, it was AMAZING!! I used a pound of italian sausage and diced up an onion and a green bell pepper and cooked them in with sausage, drained what little bit of grease there was, added them back to the skillet along with dried italian seasoning, oregano, basil and some black pepper. As for the ravioli, I used frozen beef ravioli. Turned out great!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Sounds good to me!!
Love this recipe. I added spoonfuls of ricotta cheese along with the other cheeses. Delicious!!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Sue! Thanks!!
I used my own marinara with sausage ravioli, fresh grated mozzarella and Parmesan. I like it so much better baked! I did exactly 30 minutes and had a tender bite but not mushy. No more boiling for me!
Fabulous!! So pleased you enjoyed it.
Wow! I made this as directed. I must admit, I was nervous the ravioli wouldn’t cook, and uncovered it at 30 min and let it cook another 15 minutes. It’s delicious! Surpassed my expectations! to be honest. I used cheddar cheese as I was out of mozzarella, as you suggested this would work as well. Delicious! Thanks so much!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!