This baked ravioli recipe is the best kind of cheat dinner. Using store-bought ravioli and a quick tomato sauce (you could even use store-bought marinara sauce/spaghetti sauce too) means dinner will be ready in no time. This recipe only works with store-bought ravioli. Please don’t use your delicate, beautifully fresh, handmade ravioli for this. It would be a complete waste. Just like my baked gnocchi with bacon and tomato, this recipe works because of the firmness of ready-made ravioli (or in that case, gnocchi). Where ready-made ravioli simply cooked and dressed in sauce can often be tough and a little unpleasant in texture, baking them in a rich tomato sauce with layers of melty mozzarella results in an incredibly moreish dinner. Their robust texture (read: toughness) actually works beautifully when baked. It almost begs for it. The tomato sauce I baked the ravioli in was a simple 10 minute sauce I made with cherry tomatoes, red onion and a good splash of Balsamic vinegar. This was layered with the blanched pasta and sliced mozzarella and then baked until bubbling and golden. From prep to plate in no more than 30 minutes (if you work fast, even less). Ooey, gooey cheesy pasta for dinner? Yes please!
Ingredients Needed
Onion. Fresh garlic cloves. Cherry tomatoes. Chicken broth/stock. Balsamic vinegar. Salt and black pepper. Sugar. Ravioli. I used cheese ravioli but any ravioli will work. Frozen ravioli is a great option. Mozzarella cheese. Fresh basil leaves, to serve. Optional: For extra protein, feel free to use a meat sauce or layer cooked Italian sausage or ground turkey with the sauce and ravioli. Veggies like sautéed mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers or zucchini can also be added.
How to make baked ravioli
Make a simple tomato sauce by cooking onions, garlic and tomatoes with Balsamic vinegar. Blanch store-bought ravioli of your choice for a few minutes in boiling water then drain. Combine the ravioli with the pasta sauce and layer in an oven-proof baking dish/casserole dish with mozzarella. Bake until hot and bubbling then serve.
Can I use another type of stuffed pasta?
Absolutely. Any shape or kind of stuffed pasta will work in this recipe. Tortellini and Pansotti are probably the two most easily accessible varieties but feel free to explore with whatever you can find.
How long does baked ravioli take to cook in the oven?
Because both the sauce and the ravioli are already cooked, you just need the mozzarella to melt and everything to warm through in the oven. The ravioli should take no longer than 10-15 minutes to bake in the oven.
Easy baked pasta recipes:
