Easy Baked Ravioli

Saucy ravioli tucked under a generous layer of melted mozzarella makes this
baked ravioli exactly the kind of dinner I want when the day has been busy.
It’s warm, cheesy, filling, and, best of all, it comes together with just four ingredients.

What I especially love about this recipe is how little work stands between you and a bubbling pan of pasta.
The ravioli cooks while the sauce warms on the stove, and after everything comes together,
the oven takes care of the rest. In just about 20 minutes, you have a cozy pasta dinner
that feels much more substantial than the short ingredient list suggests.

Keep this one close for busy weeknights. Add a salad or some crusty bread, bring the baking dish straight to the table, and dinner is done.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There’s a lot to love about a pasta dinner this simple!

It only needs 4 ingredients. Cheese-filled ravioli, your favorite pasta sauce, basil, and mozzarella come together to make the entire dish.
It’s wonderfully quick. With 5 minutes of prep and 16 minutes of cooking, you can have dinner ready in just 21 minutes.
The cheese is the best part. A full 2 cups of mozzarella melt over the saucy ravioli in the oven, creating that irresistible cheesy topping every good pasta bake needs.
It’s made for busy nights. There’s very little chopping or preparation involved. Cook the ravioli, warm the sauce, assemble, and bake!
You can make it your own. Once you know the basic recipe, it’s easy to experiment with different ravioli fillings, sauces, vegetables, and cheeses.

Simple Imgredients to make this Baked Ravioli

For Baked Ravioli

Cheese-Filled Ravioli – the main ingredient of the dish. Refrigerated cheese ravioli works best, but frozen ravioli or other fillings can also be used.
Ground Beef – adds a hearty, savory flavor and makes the ravioli bake more filling.
Yellow Onion – diced and cooked with the ground beef to add flavor and sweetness.
Pasta Sauce – coats the ravioli and brings the tomato-based flavor to the dish. Use your favorite pasta sauce.
Dried Basil – adds a light Italian herb flavor throughout the sauce.
Mozzarella Cheese – generously layered on top to create the melted, cheesy topping.

Optional Add-Ins

Fresh Basil – use fresh basil for a stronger, fresher herb flavor.
Spinach – an easy way to add vegetables to the bake.
Chopped Peppers – adds extra texture and flavor.
Red Chili Flakes – for a little heat.
Parmesan or Ricotta – for an even richer, cheesier dish.

Step-by-Step Instructions

First, get the oven ready.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Next, cook the ravioli.

Cook ravioli as directed on the package. Drain and set aside.

Cook The Ground beef

In a skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble 1 pound ground beef with 1 yellow onion, diced.
After beef is fully cooked, drain excess grease.

Make the sauce.

In a medium/large pot, mix pasta sauce, and basil and cook on medium heat until heated through (about 4-6 minutes). Add the cooked ground beef and the cooked ravioli and mix well.

At this point, the ravioli should be completely coated in that warm, basil-flecked pasta sauce and ready for the oven.

Finally, bake.

Pour into a 9×13 pan. Top with cheese and bake for 12 minutes. ENJOY!

The mozzarella will melt over the top while everything underneath becomes piping hot and saucy. Serve it while the cheese is still warm and gooey.

Expert Tips

This recipe is wonderfully straightforward, but a few small details can help your baked ravioli turn out especially well.

Cook your ravioli according to the package. Different brands and varieties can have different cooking times, so the package directions are your best guide.

Drain it well. After cooking the ravioli, let the excess water drain away before mixing it with the sauce. You want plenty of pasta sauce in the baking dish, not leftover pasta water.

Mix gently. Filled ravioli is more delicate than regular pasta. Once it’s cooked, gently combine it with the sauce so you don’t accidentally split the pasta and lose the filling.

Choose a sauce you love. There are only four ingredients here, which means each one matters. Whether you prefer a smooth marinara or a chunkier tomato sauce, use one you’d happily eat on its own.

Start with a hot oven. Make sure the oven reaches 400°F before the baking dish goes in. The ravioli only needs 12 minutes in the oven, so you want it hot from the beginning.

Recipe Variations

Once you’ve made this baked ravioli as written, there are plenty of easy ways to change it up.

Try another ravioli. Italian sausage, beef, cheese, and vegetable-filled ravioli can all work here. You can also use refrigerated or frozen ravioli—just cook it according to the package directions.

Add some vegetables. Spinach is an easy addition, or try chopped peppers or onions for another layer of flavor.

Give it some heat. If you like a little spice with your pasta, add red chili flakes.

Make it extra cheesy. Parmesan or ricotta can be added to the mixture for even more cheesy richness.

Use fresh basil. Want more fresh herb flavor? Replace the 1 teaspoon dried basil with 1 tablespoon fresh basil.

Storage & Reheating

Leftover baked ravioli is well worth saving. Once it has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat individual portions until hot throughout before serving.

You can also prepare this dish ahead of time, making it especially useful when you know a busy evening is coming.

For longer storage, turn it into a freezer meal. Slightly undercook the ravioli so it doesn’t become too soft after freezing and reheating. Combine it with the sauce, allow it to cool, and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Cover the pan with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil, label it, and freeze for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator. Then bake according to the recipe directions until everything is hot and bubbly.

Serving Suggestions

I like to keep the sides simple here because the ravioli already gives you a hearty, cheesy main course.

A warm piece of focaccia or crusty bread is perfect for catching any pasta sauce left on the plate. For something fresh alongside all that mozzarella, pair the ravioli with an arugula salad or simple green salad.

You could also add roasted or fried zucchini for an easy vegetable side, or start dinner with bruschetta for a little Italian-inspired spread.

However you serve it, bring this baked ravioli to the table while it’s still hot and the mozzarella is beautifully melted. For a four-ingredient dinner that takes just over 20 minutes, it’s hard to beat.

Easy Baked Ravioli

A simple pasta bake made with tender cheese ravioli, tomato sauce, basil, and plenty of melted mozzarella. With just four ingredients and a short baking time, this is an easy option for a quick family dinner.

Print Pin

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Baked Ravioli, Easy Baked Ravioli

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 16

Total Time: 21

Servings:

Ingredients

20 oz cheese-filled ravioli, refrigerated
1 pound ground beef
1 yellow onion, diced.
26 oz pasta sauce (your favorite)
1 tsp dried basil leaves
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cook ravioli as directed on the package. Drain and set aside.
In a skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble 1 pound ground beef with 1 yellow onion, diced.
After beef is fully cooked, drain excess grease.
In a medium/large pot, mix pasta sauce, and basil and cook on medium heat until heated through (about 4-6 minutes). Add cooked ravioli and mix well.
Pour into a 9×13 pan. Top with cheese and bake for 12 minutes.

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Nutrition

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Recipe FAQs

1. Do I need to boil the ravioli before baking it?
Yes, cook the ravioli according to the package directions first. Drain it well, then add it to the warm pasta sauce. Since the ravioli only bakes for 12 minutes, cooking it first makes sure it is tender and ready to eat.

2. Can I use frozen ravioli instead of refrigerated ravioli?
Yes, frozen ravioli works great in this recipe too. Just cook it according to the package directions before adding it to the sauce. You can use cheese, beef, Italian sausage, or veggie-filled ravioli depending on what you have on hand.

3. How do I keep the ravioli from falling apart?
Make sure you don’t overcook the ravioli and be gentle when mixing it with the sauce. Once ravioli is cooked, it can be delicate, so gently toss or fold everything together instead of stirring too much.

4. Can I make baked ravioli ahead of time?
Yes, you can easily assemble this baked ravioli ahead of time. Prepare the ravioli and sauce, add everything to the 9×13 pan, and top with mozzarella. Cover and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.

5. What is the best way to reheat baked ravioli?
Reheat leftovers covered so the ravioli stays saucy and doesn’t dry out. You can warm a larger portion in the oven or reheat individual servings in the microwave. Heat until the ravioli is hot all the way through.

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Hi, I’m Charlotte!

Welcome to Cookie and Spoon—my little corner of the internet where I share simple, feel-good recipes made for real life. From quick weeknight dinners to sweet treats you’ll want to bake on repeat, there’s a bit of everything here for every kind of home cook.