The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
This Baked Ravioli recipe can be made with refrigerated or frozen ravioli with no boiling required! It’s an easy make-ahead recipe that you can refrigerate or freeze to bake later! The meaty marinara sauce has a hint of cream with simple seasonings and the best flavor enhancers.
Be sure to try my Italian Sausage Pasta recipe next!
Baked Ravioli
My favorite part about this recipe, (aside from how delicious it is), is the fact that you don’t have to boil the ravioli prior to assembling. 🤯 There is an abundance of sauce in this recipe that the ravioli cooks in while it’s in the oven. Not only does it make the ravioli super flavorful, but you can rest assure that the ravioli will be perfectly cooked without splitting and falling apart.
💥BONUS #1: Refrigerated or frozen ravioli works beautifully for this.
Now about this meat sauce. It has a hint of creaminess to it which is a nice way to offset the acidity from the marinara, and the meat itself is flavored with the best combination of seasonings and subtle flavor enhancers, all of which makes this an above-average dish.
💥BONUS #2: You can also make it ahead of time and bake it up to 2 days later or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Be sure to serve this with Garlic Bread with Cheese and try my Classic Lasagna or Lasagna Roll Ups recipe next!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cook the ground beef, onions, seasonings, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in a large skillet. Drain excess grease. Add 2 + 1/4 cups marinara sauce and half and half. Stir to combine and set aside.
Spread 3/4 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and add half of the ravioli.
Top with half of the meat sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
Top with remaining ravioli and meat sauce.
Top with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Remove cover and broil at 450° for 1-2 minutes. Remove and serve!
Make Ahead Method
- Refrigerator: Assemble the ravioli as outlined and cover it tightly. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let it sit for 30 minutes prior to baking, or add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
- Freezer: Assemble as outlined and cover it tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months and let it fully thaw in the fridge for 24 hours prior to baking. Let it sit for 30 minutes prior to baking, or add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
Pro Tips
- Ravioli:
- Frozen ravioli may also be used, add 15 minutes of additional baking time, or until the cheese is melted when you lift up the cover for broiling.
- I use Rana 4-cheese refrigerated ravioli for this recipe, but any filling option that you like will work! Rana is usually in the refrigerated area of the produce section.
- Marinara Sauce:
- If you love extra saucy ravioli or anticipate leftovers, consider using up to 1 additional cup of sauce. (32 oz. total.) The ravioli absorbs sauce during cooking and even more after it’s been baked/during storage.
- I use Rao’s marinara sauce for this recipe. You can also try my homemade marinara sauce.
- Mozzarella Cheese:
- Low moisture, whole milk mozzarella has the best consistency for this recipe. Shred it from a block to ensure it melts and tastes the best.
- I love using Dragone mozzarella.
- A combination of ground beef, pork, and/or sausage can be used in this recipe.
- The hot sauce/Worcestershire sauce act as flavor enhancers and can’t be tasted outright.
- Ensure that your casserole dish is safe for broiling, do not broil if using a glass casserole dish.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 9 x 13-inch casserole dish– This is oven safe up to 500°
- Box Cheese Grater– Always grate the Parmesan from a wedge so that it melts and tastes the best
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Pinch Bowls– for measuring out seasonings ahead of time.
- Ove Gloves– These make it easy to transfer casseroles to and from the oven.
Try These Next
-
- Lasagna Roll Ups
-
- Pizza Pasta
-
- Stromboli
-
- Meatball Soup
-
- Chicken Parmesan
-
- Italian Sausage Pasta
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Baked Ravioli
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb. ground beef
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon each: onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano, mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, doesn’t make it spicy
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 oz. marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
- 20 oz. refrigerated ravioli, uncooked. see notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Season the ground beef with salt and pepper and add it to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble it for 3 minutes. Add the seasonings, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and the onions and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Tilt the skillet and spoon out any excess grease. Reduce heat to low.
- Spread 3/4 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and add the rest to the skillet with the meat. Add the half and half and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- Arrange half of the ravioli on the bottom of the casserole dish and top with half of the meat sauce, then top with ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
- Top with remaining ravioli, then the meat sauce and remaining mozzarella.
- Cover and bake for 35 minutes. If covering with foil, spray one side with non-stick cooking spray to prevent it from sticking to the cheese while it bakes.
- Remove cover and broil at 450 to brown the top slightly. It’ll take just 1-2 minutes, watch it closely during this time.
- Remove from heat and serve!
Notes
- Ravioli:
- Frozen ravioli may also be used, add 15 minutes of additional baking time, or until the cheese is melted when you lift up the cover for broiling.
- I use Rana 4-cheese refrigerated ravioli for this recipe, but any filling option that you like will work! I also use Rao’s marinara sauce, it’s a great quality marinara sauce.
- Marinara Sauce:
- If you love extra saucy ravioli or anticipate leftovers, consider using up to 1 additional cup of sauce. (32 oz. total.) The ravioli absorbs sauce during cooking and even more after it’s been baked/during storage.
- I use Rao's marinara sauce for this recipe. You can also try my homemade marinara sauce.
- Mozzarella Cheese:
- Low moisture, whole milk mozzarella has the best consistency for this recipe. Shred it from a block to ensure it melts and tastes the best.
- I love using Dragone mozzarella.
- A combination of ground beef, pork, and/or sausage can be used in this recipe.
- The hot sauce/Worcestershire sauce act as flavor enhancers and can’t be tasted outright.
- Ensure that your casserole dish is safe for broiling, do not broil if using a glass casserole dish.
Make-Ahead Method:
- Refrigerator: Assemble the ravioli as outlined and cover it tightly. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let it sit for 30 minutes prior to baking, or add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
- Freezer: Assemble as outlined and cover it tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months and let it fully thaw in the fridge for 24 hours prior to baking. Let it sit for 30 minutes prior to baking, or add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Information is per serving. The number of servings are at the top of the recipe card in the middle. This recipe has 6 servings.
If using a glass casserole dish do I just bake longer instead of broiling? and how much longer would I bake instead of broil?
You can bake it for an additional 2-3 minutes, if the cheese is fully melted, you’re good to go!
I have frozen tortellini. Do you think that would work? Should I defrost them first? Thanks I love all the recipes I have tried so far.
Hey Allyson!! You can definitely use frozen tortellini, I’d follow the same steps as you would for frozen ravioli. I can’t wait for you to make it, so happy that you’re loving my recipes thank you so much!!! For Frozen Tortellini: Add 15 minutes of additional baking time, or until the cheese is melted when you lift up the cover for broiling.
Surprisingly delicious! This recipe is now on our regular rotation. It’s easy to make, which I love, and everyone wanted more!
Excellent! I’m so happy to hear that Richard!! Thank you so much for the review!!
This recipe was delicious!!
I made it last night for my 4 year old and I. The only changes I made were to cut the recipe in half and used mild Italian sausage instead of ground beef. I had a package of Trader Joe’s refrigerated cheese raviolis…they were perfectly sized for the smaller baking dish I used.
There are plenty of leftovers that I can’t wait to get into and my daughter gave it a thumbs up and said she would eat it again.
I am sooo happy that it was a hit with you and your daughter Meredith!! I love that you used sausage in this too, YUM! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to share how it came out and to leave a review, you’re the best!! 🙂 -Stephanie
Another amazing recipe! I used half sausage and half hamburger. So much flavor! Thank you!
Nice work Ginny, I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks so much for the review!😀
This was a very easy and so delicious , recipe !!
We loved it ! It looked great ! Smelled great ! And tasted really great !!!
This will be a definite go to meal, especially when time is shirt a short snd is a ‘ tasty like’ lasagne , and a for sure a take to a ‘pot luck event !
Debbie
This would be perfect for a pot luck! I’m so happy you liked it Debbie, thanks so much for the review!😀