Baked Ravioli

This baked ravioli is a dish even the kids will love! You can assemble it ahead of time and refrigerate it, then bake it right before dinner!

I wasn’t planning on sharing this recipe, but life has been so busy that I haven’t done any recipe testing for almost a month now. It’s been kind of freeing. Not that I don’t love it, but it’s not always easy to find time to stop and take pictures while preparing a meal, especially during winter!

This is a dish we made this past summer. It’s so, so easy! You can put together in about 15 minutes and let the oven do the rest. While it may not be fancy, it is delicious and effortless… something a pregnant mom of 2 littles really appreciated while her husband was away at training for 4 months! ?

So what do you need to make this? A jar of your favorite marinara (or about 3 cups of homemade sauce), a half pound of ground beef, a quarter pound of Italian sausage, onion and garlic, 3 cups of spinach, seasoning, a 20 ounce package of your favorite ravioli, 1/4 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese and 2 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Layer everything in a baking dish starting with sauce, then a layer of pasta, then ground beef, more sauce and cheese. Repeat once more. You can either cover it and place it in the fridge until you need it or bake it right away. It’ll bake for 30 minutes with foil over top and 15 minutes uncovered.

You can sprinkle the top with freshly chopped parsley (or basil), but it’s really just for a pop of color. This cheesy, meaty dish is hearty and full of flavor. You customize it however you like, something I love! It was a huge hit with the kids and myself. I hope it will be a success with you too.

4-6 servings

Baked Ravioli

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This baked ravioli is a dish even the kids will love! You can assemble it ahead of time and refrigerate it, then bake it right before dinner!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/4 lb. ground Italian sausage (regular or hot)
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 c. fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 (24 oz.) jar marinara sauce (your favorite)
• 1 (20 oz.) package ravioli (your favorite)
• 2 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 c. finely grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large skillet set over medium heat, add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the ground beef and sausage along with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cook until browned. Add spinach and wilt, about 4-5 minutes.
3. In a 9×13-inch baking dish start by adding 1/3 of the pasta sauce. Start by layering the dish with half of the ravioli, then half of the meat, 1/3 of the sauce, and half of the cheeses. Repeat with one more layer using the remaining ingredients.
4. Cover the top of the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or basil if desired.

– You can also make this in a slow cooker. Heat for 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low.

– Mushrooms make a great addition to the ground beef/sausage mixture.

All images and text ©Life Made Simple.