If you’re craving comfort food without the extra effort, this Baked Ravioli recipe is about to be your new favorite dinner! It’s an easy, family-friendly meal made with layers of cheese ravioli, a hearty meat sauce, and melty mozzarella cheese, all baked together for bubbly, cozy perfection. Whether you need a quick weeknight meal or a make-ahead dish for busy nights, this easy casserole delivers big flavor with minimal prep!

Close-up of a baked ravioli casserole in a white dish, topped with melted cheese and herbs. A serving spatula lifts a portion, showing layers of pasta and meat sauce.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  1. Cozy perfection. This dish is pure comfort food! Every bite is loaded with melty cheese, tender ravioli, and flavorful meat sauce.
  2. Incredibly easy. No need to boil pasta or spend hours making marinara sauce from scratch. This is a foolproof dinner recipe made with less than 10 ingredients!
  3. Perfect for busy nights. It takes 20 minutes to toss this baked ravioli casserole together, and you can make it ahead of time for a simple weeknight meal.
Assorted Italian ingredients on a wooden surface, including ravioli, olive oil, ricotta, marinara sauce, sausage, mozzarella, garlic, herbs, and an onion.

Ingredients

Here I explain the best ingredients for this baked ravioli recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Italian sausage – I recommend using a mild or hot Italian sausage for the best flavor, but if you prefer, you can simply use ground beef or ground pork instead.
  • Marinara sauce – to make this recipe super easy, I use a jar of Rao’s (my favorite store brand pasta sauce in a jar). Or if you have a little extra time, you can make homemade marinara sauce.
  • Italian seasoning –  I always prefer to use my homemade seasoning mix. It has the best flavor, with a great combination of spices, and it’s easy to mix up in 5 minutes! Click the link for the recipe, or purchase pre-made Italian seasoning at the grocery store.
  • Ricotta cheese
  • Prepared raviolis – these are usually found refrigerated near the deli section at the grocery store. For this recipe, I used a four cheese ravioli, but you can use another type of ravioli with a different filling. Chicken, Italian sausage, and spinach ricotta are common types of filling found in prepared raviolis at the grocery store. You can also use frozen ravioli that you might already have hanging out in your freezer at home!
  • Mozzarella cheese – I recommend using low-moisture mozzarella and grating it at home. This will give you a perfectly melty cheese topping that won’t water down the dish.

Instructions

I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

Ground meat is being browned with onions in a large skillet.
Close-up of a simmering pot of rich red tomato meat sauce, featuring ground meat and diced tomatoes
A glass bowl with fluffy, white ricotta cheese mixed with herbs. A red spatula is partially submerged, resting on a smooth marble countertop.

Prepare the meat sauce and seasoned ricotta cheese.

  1. Cook diced onions and minced garlic in olive oil, in a large pot on the stove, over medium-high heat. Add loose Italian sausage. Crumble and cook the sausage until it’s no longer pink, then drain any grease from the skillet.
  2. Add marinara sauce and Italian seasoning to the skillet with the sausage. Stir to combine everything, then simmer the sauce for 5 minutes before removing it from the heat on the stove.
  3. Combine ricotta cheese with Italian seasoning and mozzarella cheese in a mixing bowl.
White baking dish with 15 uncooked ravioli in neat rows on a marble countertop.
Baked ravioli preparation in a white dish on a speckled countertop. Layers of pasta are topped with meat sauce and dollops of ricotta cheese.
A casserole dish filled with baked ravioli, topped generously with shredded cheese. The cheese covers a layer of tomato sauce.
Cheesy baked ravioli topped with melted cheese and sprinkled with basil in a white baking dish. A red striped towel and fresh herbs are nearby.

Assemble the casserole.

  1. Arrange half of the raviolis in the bottom of a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish.
  2. Top the raviolis with half of the meat sauce, then dollop on half of the seasoned ricotta cheese.
  3. Repeat with another layer of raviolis, meat sauce, and ricotta cheese. Finally top the entire dish with shredded mozzarella cheese.
  4. Cover the baking dish with non-stick foil, or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick to the cheese. Place in a 350°F preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. Turn the oven from bake to broil on high. Uncover the dish and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbling. Optionally garnish with fresh parsley or basil.
Close-up of a plate of baked ravioli with melted cheese, garnished with fresh herbs. Behind it, a red-striped cloth and a white casserole dish.

What to serve it with

This baked ravioli casserole is delicious paired with garlic bread and a salad. Try pairing it with these recipes.

Garlic Bread

Italian Salad

Garlic Knots

Cucumber Arugula Prosciutto Salad
Close-up of a bowl of baked ravioli with melted cheese, garnished with fresh herbs with a fork in the bowl. Behind it, a red-striped cloth.
Print Pin
No ratings yet
Rate this Recipe

Cheesy Baked Ravioli Casserole

Craving cozy comfort food without the effort? This easy Baked Ravioli recipe layers cheese ravioli, hearty meat sauce, and melty mozzarella for the ultimate family-friendly meal. Perfect for busy weeknights or make-ahead dinners, this casserole delivers big flavor with minimal prep!
Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 37 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes
Author: Whitney Bond
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the Italian sausage, cook and crumble until no longer pink. Drain any grease from the skillet.
  • Pour the marinara sauce and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning in the skillet with the ground sausage and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove the sauce from the heat.
  • In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, and ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
  • Arrange half of the raviolis in the bottom of a 9 inch by 13 inch casserole dish. Top with half of the meat sauce. Dollop half of the seasoned ricotta cheese over the sauce.
  • Top with another half of the raviolis, the meat sauce, and the remaining ricotta cheese. Sprinkle the remaining 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella evenly over the top.
  • Cover with non-stick foil, or foil sprayed with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick to the cheese. Place in the oven to bake for 35 minutes.
  • Turn the oven from bake to broil on high. Uncover the dish and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbling.
  • Optionally garnish with chopped fresh basil or parsley.

Notes

  • You can make this recipe with frozen or refrigerated raviolis with no need to boil the pasta, or add any time to the cook time.
  • If you’re using frozen ravioli and they’re stuck together, place them in a colander and run them under cool water in the sink until they start to defrost and separate.
  • To make this recipe vegetarian, replace the Italian sausage with a pound of diced vegetables, like mushrooms, bell peppers, or zucchini.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can reheat a single portion in a bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes, or transfer more than one portion back into an oven-safe casserole dish. Cover the casserole dish and reheat the baked ravioli at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 796kcal (40%)Carbohydrates 54g (18%)Protein 43g (86%)Fat 55g (85%)Saturated Fat 23g (115%)Polyunsaturated Fat 4gMonounsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 174mg (58%)Sodium 2058mg (86%)Potassium 763mg (22%)Fiber 6g (24%)Sugar 8g (9%)Vitamin A 1184mg (24%)Vitamin C 13mg (16%)Calcium 435mg (44%)Iron 13mg (72%)
Did you make this recipe?Tag @WhitneyBond on Instagram and hashtag it #WBRecipes!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.