Baked Ravioli Casserole

By Amy Dong
Updated Nov. 17, 2025

This cheesy baked ravioli casserole is an entire meal-in-one. It’s a super easy ravioli bake that can be made in advance and is ideal for meal prep. I often bring this to friends or neighbors who can use a family meal.

Amy’s Notes

Baked Ravioli has long been one of my all time favorite one-pot recipes.
It’s affordable and great for bringing to my friends who are new moms, for meal trains, or just anyone who can use a meal, as it’s super easy comfort dish people love.
Baked ravioli comes together in less than an hour – the perfect Sunday meal prep recipe or weeknight dinner.
You can fully assemble and freeze the unbaked dish for baking later.

Key Recipe Ingredients

Protein: Use two pounds of lean ground beef or ground turkey.
Ravioli: Refrigerated or frozen cheese ravioli is our favorite choice.
Sauce: Choose your favorite red sauce – marinara, spaghetti sauce, etc.
Tomatoes: Use plain diced tomatoes with all the juices; do not drain.
Cheeses: A combination of mozzarella and colby jack cheese are perfect here. Parmesan cheese is used for topping.
Seasonings: Freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar bring out scrumptious flavors.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

One amazing thing about this recipe is the ability to prepare it completely ahead of time. It’s easy to assemble all the ingredients and either cook it immediately, or prepare it for the freezer.

Brown the Meat: Brown ground meat in a large heavy pot on medium high heat. Drain excess grease.
Prep Sauce: In the same pot, add pasta sauce, diced tomatoes with juices, and the spices.
Prep Casserole: Spread the sauce evenly over bottom of baking dish. Layer half of the ravioli over sauce, followed by half of the cheeses. Repeat layers, finishing with sauce. Sprinkle parmesan across the top.
Bake: Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 450F for 30 minutes or until the ravioli is tender

How to Prep Ahead

If preparing this ravioli bake in advance for future use, fully assemble it without baking. Cover tightly with foil, and place in the fridge or freezer. When ready to cook, bake directly from fridge or freezer.
If baking from frozen, bake at least 60 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.
Fully baked ravioli casserole can be cooled to room temperature, covered airtight, and frozen for up to a month. Reheat in oven when ready to serve.

What to Serve with Ravioli Casserole

Salads: Ravioli is the perfect dish to pair with crisp green salads. Our favorites include a good Italian salad or this Best Creamy Caesar Salad.
Breads: Crusty artisan bread such as this French Bread Recipe or Rosemary Garlic Bread are our favorites. We also highly recommend Olive Garden Style Breadsticks for any pasta dish.
Vegetables: Roasted veggies are an ideal companion to pasta dishes. Try this Easy Roasted Vegetables Recipe.

Video: Watch Us Make This Recipe

Cheesy Baked Ravioli Casserole

4.94 from 129 ratings

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This baked ravioli casserole is an entire meal-in-one. Start with frozen ravioli for an easy, delicious meal that is perfect for meal prep.

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 50

Servings:

Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef, or ground turkey
25 ounces cheese ravioli, refrigerated or frozen
26 ounces pasta sauce
28 ounces diced tomatoes, plain, with juices
4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
Optional garnish: freshly chopped parsley, basil, or oregano

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F with rack on lower middle position. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish; set aside.
Cook ground meat in large heavy pot over medium high heat. Stir and break up pieces until cooked through. Turn heat off. If needed, drain excess grease.
To the same pot, add pasta sauce and diced tomatoes with juices. Add oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar. Stir to incorporate well.
Spread one-third of the meat sauce evenly onto the bottom of prepared baking dish. Arrange half of the ravioli over the sauce, followed by half of the mozzarella.
Layer with another third of the meat sauce, remaining half of the ravioli, and remaining half of the mozzarella. End with last third of the sauce on top. Sprinkle evenly with parmesan on top.
Cover dish loosely with greased aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes, or until ravioli is tender and sauce is bubbly.

Notes

If using frozen ravioli, it does not need to be defrosted prior to layering.
We start with a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of baking dish so there is enough liquid on bottom to cook/tenderize the pasta above it.
Feel free to add 1 cup frozen spinach (squeeze out all excess moisture) to the layers if you like veggies.
You can substitute half of the mozzarella cheese with Italian cheese blend, if desired.
Make Ahead: If not baking right away, cover assembled casserole tightly with greased foil and place in fridge overnight. When ready to use, loosen foil and bake about 45 minutes.
To Freeze: You can freeze unbaked, assembled casserole airtight for up to 1 month. If baking from frozen, increase bake time to 60 minutes or longer.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating. We ❤️ hearing from you!

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Nutrition (per serving)

Course: Dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine: Itialian

Method: Stovetop

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to cook frozen ravioli?

We love using frozen ravioli in a casserole. It’s super easy to make, you can prep it ahead of time, and it delivers a hearty meal that is full of flavor. The cheeses give this baked ravioli a creamy texture.

Can I make baked ravioli casserole ahead of time?

The beauty of a multi-layered ravioli bake made with meat sauce, cheese, and frozen ravioli is that you really can fully prep it and cook it another day. Either place it in the fridge, if you are going to use it within a few days.

Can I freeze an assembled, unbaked ravioli casserole

You can freeze an unbaked casserole by fully assembling the dish entirely as written, wrap it tightly with cling wrap or foil, and place in freezer for up to a month. Bake for 1 hour, directly from frozen.

What meats can I use in baked ravioli casserole?

You can really use any ground meat you like. Ground beef is popular, turkey is a lean alternative, and Italian sausage provides the most robust flavor. You can also omit the meat entirely and go vegetarian!

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