This baked ravioli casserole is a quick, delicious, and easy dinner recipe that requires minimal effort. It features ravioli, meat sauce, fresh vegetables, and gooey cheese.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This ravioli bake is the perfect easy recipe for busy weeknights. It is easier to make than classic lasagna—there is no need to boil noodles beforehand and follows a simple layering process.
- This can be an easy make-ahead recipe too. Simply assemble the casserole beforehand, place it in the refrigerator or freezer, and then bake it when you are ready. It is a great freezer meal and also great for meal prep (see our FAQ section for info on freezing this casserole).
- You can use fresh or frozen ravioli in this easy ravioli casserole dish. Both will cook well in the oven.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil
- Lean ground beef or lean ground turkey - use your meat of choice here! You could also use Italian sausage.
- Shredded carrots - you can buy these pre-shredded at your grocery store or grate them on your own.
- Baby spinach
- Minced garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Black pepper
- Marinara sauce - store-bought marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce works well for this recipe. We like Rao's marinara sauce*, but there are many options to choose from! We don't recommend using plain tomato sauce.
- Small curd cottage cheese - cottage cheese is great in pasta casserole dishes. You can swap with ricotta cheese too.
- Spinach or cheese ravioli - you can use frozen or fresh ravioli. We like to use a cheese or spinach ravioli, but you could also use one with meat such as a beef ravioli.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese - we like to add a cup of mozzarella cheese over the top of the sauce to get the gooey melted cheese on the top. Alternatively, you could use grated parmesan cheese or omit this cheese all together.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large skillet
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9 x 13-inch baking dish
- Aluminum foil
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a large skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the meat. Use a spatula or spoon to break up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Let the meat cook for 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink and fully cooked. Drain off any excess grease.
Step 2: Add the carrots, spinach, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes, until the carrots and spinach have softened.
Step 3: Reserve 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the side. Pour the remaining marinara into the pan and mix until well combined. Let the mixture simmer for 2 minutes, and then remove the pan from heat.
Step 4: Add the reserved 1 cup of pasta sauce to the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly. Place half of the ravioli (10-ounces) in rows on top of the thin layer of marinara sauce.
Step 5: Place half of the cottage cheese on top of the layer of ravioli and spread it into an even layer.
Step 6: Next, evenly spread the sauce/meat mixture on top of the cottage cheese.
Repeat the same process once more by placing the remaining ravioli in an even layer, followed by the rest of the cottage cheese, and the rest of the meat sauce.
For the final layer, evenly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Place the covered pan in the oven for 30 minutes. If you are baking straight from the refrigerator, it may need a few minutes of extra baking time. Once 30 minutes is up, uncover the pan by removing the foil. Set the oven to broil. Let the cheese broil for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy!
Tips & Variations
- Serve this cheesy ravioli casserole with a simple side salad, a roasted veggie, and/or garlic bread
- Top with fresh herbs such as fresh basil. You can also add red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
- Feel free to add other veggies into the casserole such as bell peppers, onion, or zucchini.
- You could swap the marinara sauce with Alfredo sauce for a white ravioli casserole.
FAQ
We recommend storing leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers are easy to reheat the next day as well.
Yes, you can freeze this casserole! Simply assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe container, cover tightly with a lid or foil and place in the freezer. When you are ready to bake the casserole, we recommend pulling it out of the freezer the night before and placing it in the refrigerator. Then, once it has thawed, bake according to the recipe directions.
This recipe can be made gluten-free with the use of gluten-free ravioli. For a vegetarian option, omit the meat and add more vegetables and/or cottage cheese. It is not dairy-free or vegan.
If you like this recipe, check out some of our other pasta dishes:
- Creamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Easy Skillet Lasagna with Cottage Cheese
- Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken
If you make this ravioli casserole recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Baked Ravioli Casserole With Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef or lean ground turkey
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 32 ounce jar of marinara sauce
- 1 cup small curd cottage cheese (drain any liquid off before using, swap for ricotta cheese if you prefer)
- 20 ounces spinach or cheese ravioli
- 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, according to preference
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a large skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the meat. Use a spatula or spoon to break up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Let the meat cook for 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink and fully cooked. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add the carrots, spinach, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes, until the carrots and spinach have softened.
- Reserve 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the side. Pour the remaining marinara into the pan and mix until well combined. Let the mixture simmer for 2 minutes, and then remove the pan from heat.
- Add the reserved 1 cup of pasta sauce to the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly. Place half of the ravioli (10-ounces) in rows on top of the thin layer of marinara sauce.
- Place half of the cottage cheese on top of the layer of ravioli and spread it into an even layer. Next, evenly spread the sauce/meat mixture on top of the cottage cheese.
- Repeat the same process once more by placing the remaining ravioli in an even layer, followed by the rest of the cottage cheese, and the rest of the meat sauce.
- For the final layer, evenly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place the covered pan in the oven for 30 minutes. If you are baking straight from the refrigerator, it may need a few minutes of extra baking time. Once 30 minutes is up, uncover the pan by removing the foil. Set the oven to broil. Let the cheese broil for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy!
Notes
- Yes, you can freeze this casserole! Simply assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe container, cover tightly with a lid or foil and place in the freezer. When you are ready to bake the casserole, we recommend pulling it out of the freezer the night before and placing it in the refrigerator. Then, once it has thawed, bake according to the recipe directions.
- This recipe can be made gluten-free with the use of gluten-free ravioli. For a vegetarian option, omit the meat and add more vegetables and/or cottage cheese. It is not dairy-free or vegan.
NUTRITION
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Ravioli Casserole." The nutrition is calculated using ground turkey, spinach ravioli, and 1 cup of mozzarella.
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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