Recipe at a glance: A baked ravioli that starts with frozen cheese ravioli layered with marinara, mozzarella, and Parmesan, so you get lasagna flavor with far less work. It takes about an hour, serves 8, and freezes well for later.
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This Baked Ravioli with Frozen Ravioli is frozen cheese ravioli layered straight from the bag with marinara, mozzarella, Parmesan, and dried basil and oregano, then baked until the cheese is bubbly and golden. It tastes a lot like lasagna, but there are no noodles to boil and nothing to thaw, since the ravioli cook right in the sauce. It takes about 15 minutes to put together, bakes for 45, and serves 8.
Reader love!
The meal is another level! Perfectly melty cheese on top added a lovely richness to the dish. So so yum!
says:
I build this one in layers like a lasagna, with half the effort. Covering the dish with foil for the first 30 minutes keeps the sauce from drying out while the frozen ravioli cook through, and the last 15 minutes uncovered melt and brown the cheese.
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To bake ravioli from frozen, layer the frozen cheese ravioli straight from the bag (no boiling and no thawing) with marinara, mozzarella, and Parmesan in a baking dish, cover it with foil, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 minutes more until the cheese is bubbly. The ravioli cooks through right in the sauce, so it comes together like lasagna with a lot less work. This one serves 8 and takes about an hour start to finish.
💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Minimal prep and just seven ingredients, plus parsley if you want it.
- Made in 1 hour, with only 15 minutes of active prep.
- Works for a family dinner or for having guests over without much stress.
- Can be prepped in advance and leftovers can be frozen for later.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make baked ravioli with frozen ravioli
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Tip
I would recommend using either a 9×13-inch rectangular baking dish or a large circular baking dish (like the one pictured in this post).
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Coat a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or a little olive oil.
- Layer Sauce and Ravioli: Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce at the bottom of the dish. Arrange a single layer of frozen ravioli over the sauce. Then, add more sauce on top of the ravioli.
- Add Cheese and Herbs: Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese over the sauce. Then, sprinkle about half of the dried basil, half of the dried oregano, and half of the red pepper flakes.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat layers with remaining sauce, ravioli, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Bake: Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden. Optionally, if your dish is broiler-safe, turn on the oven broiler and broil for 30-90 seconds, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Garnish and Serve: Let cool for a few minutes. Optionally, garnish with chopped parsley, then serve.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Marinara Sauce: Any pasta sauce you have on hand will work here. Spaghetti sauce works too, and a meat sauce makes it heartier. If it’s on the chunkier side, just spread it evenly to fully coat the ravioli. For thicker sauces, a splash of water or broth can help keep everything moist while baking.
- Frozen Cheese Ravioli: Any frozen ravioli should work. Fresh ravioli will also work, but reduce the initial covered baking time since fresh ravioli cooks faster than frozen.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Swap this with any melty cheese you’d like, like provolone or a blend of Italian cheeses.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Asiago or Romano will work.
- Dried Basil and Oregano: Fresh herbs would be your best substitution choice. Just remember, fresh herbs are less potent, so you’ll need a little more than dried.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Skip it or adjust to your heat preference.
✨ Variations
- Meat Sauce: Brown some ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage and layer it in with the ravioli for a heartier dish.
- Add Vegetables: Sauté spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, or bell peppers and add them to the layers for more vegetables.
- Spicy: Add more heat with extra red pepper flakes, sliced jalapenos, or a spicy sausage.
- More Cheese: Mix in ricotta between layers or add small spoonfuls of cream cheese on top before baking.
〰️ How to serve
- Bread: Cheesy garlic pull apart bread, cheesy breadsticks, or a crusty baguette.
- Salad: Greek salad or Italian orzo pasta salad.
- Appetizers: Bruschetta, cucumber tomato bites, sausage stuffed mushrooms, or whipped feta with honey dip.
💬 FAQs
Do you have to boil frozen ravioli before baking?
No. I bake the ravioli straight from frozen, right in the sauce, so there’s no need to boil it first.
Do you thaw frozen ravioli before baking?
No, don’t thaw the ravioli. Use it straight from the freezer and it cooks through as it bakes in the sauce.
How long do you bake frozen ravioli?
Bake it at 350°F for 45 minutes total: 30 minutes covered with foil, then 15 minutes uncovered, until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden.
What temperature do you bake frozen ravioli at?
Bake frozen ravioli at 350°F. That’s low enough for the ravioli to cook through evenly without the cheese on top browning too fast.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes, you can assemble the baked ravioli ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. Just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if you’re starting from cold.
How should leftovers be stored?
Once leftovers have cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. To freeze, transfer sliced portions of the casserole to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
How should leftovers be reheated?
Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) until warmed through, or microwave individual portions in 30-second increments. If it seems dry, add a little water or extra marinara sauce before reheating.
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Shop this recipe
It layers up like lasagna with way less work. Here’s what I use:
- → A 9×13 baking disha large round one works too
- → A box graterfreshly grated Parmesan melts best
- → A good jarred marinara
- → Dried basil & oregano
See everything I use & love in my Amazon shop →
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Baked Ravioli
Ingredients
- 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
- 1 bag (25 ounces) frozen cheese ravioli (do not thaw)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided (optional)
Optional Garnish:
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Coat large baking dish (9×13-inch rectangular dish or large circular dish will work) with nonstick cooking spray or a little olive oil.
- Layer Sauce and Ravioli: Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce at the bottom of the dish. Arrange a single layer of frozen ravioli over sauce. Then, add more sauce on top of ravioli.
- Add Cheese and Herbs: Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese over sauce. Then, sprinkle about half of the dried basil, half of the dried oregano, and half of the red pepper flakes.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat layers with remaining sauce, ravioli, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Bake: Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden. Optionally, if your dish is broiler-safe, turn on oven broiler and broil for 30-90 seconds, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Garnish and Serve: Let cool for a few minutes. Optionally, garnish with chopped parsley, then serve.
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