Work smarter, not harder with this Vegetarian Lasagna made with spinach & cheese ravioli.
Historically, lasagna and ravioli have been two separate dishes in Italian cooking. Lasagna is a BIg dish with a capital “B,” and usually involves two different homemade sauces plus a layering of yummy ingredients. Ravioli, made by hand, is labor intensive as well. Both lasagna and ravioli can be meatless and still filling.
Whoever initially thought of combining the layering effect of lasagna and the convenience of frozen ravioli was a genius – making Ravioli Lasagna an accessible, easy to make (and easy to love) new favorite.
This dish, Ravioli Lasagna, is the best of both worlds–ravioli and lasagna, and a time saver. What some might call “lazy lasagna,” I call “smart.” It makes a dish that looks like you put in the time but actually is quick enough to throw together on a busy weeknight.
The flavors that this meatless wonder dishes up are hearty and delicious: cheese, cheesy tomato sauce, pasta, and oh yeah, spinach in the ravioli, which is a great way to sneak in a green vegetable! The layers cook up into a cheesy dish of “yum” and Ravioli Lasagna is perfect for vegetarians or those wanting to eat less meat.
Other meatless main dishes to try include Baked Bree’s Cheesy Baked Ziti or Cheese Lasagna.
Ingredients
- 18 oz Spinach and cheese Ravioli
- 4 cups Creamy tomato pasta sauce
- 3 cups Mozzarella shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan finely shredded
- 1 small bunch fresh Basil
Preparation Steps
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F.
Step 2: Spoon a layer of creamy tomato sauce into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, and spread it along the bottom. Then arrange the ravioli out in a single layer over the sauce. Sprinkle on a layer of shredded mozzarella then repeat the process until you have two or three layers.
Step 3: On the last layer, spread over the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
Step 4: Cover with foil and place into the preheated oven to bake for 25 minutes covered, gently remove the foil, and then bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Step 5: Serve with the basil on top.
Top Tips For a Perfect Spinach Ravioli Lasagna
- Before pouring the sauce into the bottom of your baking pan, spray a little nonstick spray all over the pan to make clean up easier.
- You can use fresh (refrigerated) or frozen ravioli in this recipe – the beauty is that you don’t’ have to cook either kind before assembling it with the other layers!
- For the sauce, I just look for a premade variety, either a 4-cheese or 5-cheese type. Many of the major brands of pasta sauce have some version of a cheesy tomato sauce, and you just need to open the jars and pour into your dish.
- Do tightly cover with foil for the first 25 minutes – it traps the heat and steam and helps the ravioli thaw and heat, plus creates that melty, lovely lasagna texture where the separate layers cook into one.
FAQs
If you want to toss in some extra veggies like mushrooms or onions, you can sauté them beforehand and add them with the sauce layer, directly on top of the ravioli. You can also use just cheese ravioli if you prefer.
No. Just layer it as-is (straight out of the package) and it will cook in the oven.
It should be bubbly and gooey. If it needs more time, re-cover with the foil and allow it to bake, checking every 5-8 minutes until it’s done.
Serving Suggestions
To complete your meal and maintain your “work smarter not harder” game, simply bake some frozen garlic bread during the last portion of cook time for the lasagna and open a bagged Caesar salad as a side dish. The less fuss the better, and totally doable on a weeknight.
How to Store
Ravioli Lasagna can be made ahead – assembled, covered with foil and put in the fridge or freezer. Just let it come to room temperature or thaw (overnight in the fridge) before baking. Leftovers are a breeze to heat up – just reheat in the microwave in individual portions. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Spinach Ravioli Lasagna
Ingredients
- 18 oz Spinach and cheese Ravioli
- 4 cups Creamy tomato pasta sauce
- 3 cups Mozzarella shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan finely shredded
- 1 small bunch fresh Basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Spoon a layer of creamy tomato sauce into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, and spread it along the bottom. Then arrange the ravioli out in a single layer over the sauce. Sprinkle on a layer of shredded mozzarella then repeat the process until you have two or three layers.
- On the last layer, spread over the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and place into the preheated oven to bake for 25 minutes covered, gently remove the foil, and then bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Serve with the basil on top.
