Hearty, comforting Ravioli Lasagna is what cheesy dreams are made of! Layers of ravioli blanketed in ricotta, pesto and Parmesan are cocooned by meat and the most luscious homemade Tomato Basil Sauce. Get ready to fall in love!
I don’t make a lot of easy casserole recipes so when I do, it’s got to be good. Beyond good. That casserole has to be rave-worthy, family begging, commandeer your dreams good. And this Ravioli Lasagna is just that. It’s one of those cheesilicious meals that takes you twice as long to eat because your eyes roll back in your head as you savor every. single. bite.
My family loves Italian food. Lasagna and Chicken Marsala are always at the top of their dinner request list. There are quite a few Ravioli Lasagna recipes out there but there are a couple of things that set this version apart. First, the homemade Tomato Basil Sauce infused with Italian Spices, fresh basil, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It takes an extra few minutes to throw together but I promise, it’s so worth it. You can always substitute the store-bought variety in a pinch for your “lazy” or “need it now” days, but the rest of the days, the Tomato Basil Sauce is where it’s at.
Next is the ravioli. But not just plain ravioli. While your Tomato Basil Sauce is simmering, you toss your frozen ravioli in a bowl with ricotta, basil pesto and Parmesan – ah, so good! This ricotta coated ravioli replaces the boiled noodles and cheese filling for less hassle and work but with double the cheesiness and the added oomph of flavor from the pesto.
Next, simply layer some Tomato Basil Sauce, Ravioli Filling, Meat, mozzarella and repeat, finally topping it all off with freshly grated Parmesan and get ready to fall in love!
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 8 oz. mozzarella cheese about 2 ½ cups
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Tomato Basil Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ large yellow onion diced
- 6-8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree
- 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 1-3 teaspoons granulated sugar to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
Add later:
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil chopped (may sub 1 tablespoon dry)
Ravioli Filling:
- 2 pound FROZEN ravioli I like spinach and mozzarella
- 1 ½ cups ricotta
- ½ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Brown beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to plate with a slotted spoon.
- To the remaining grease, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 5-8 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute 1 minute. Stir in all of the remaining “Tomato Basil Sauce” ingredients EXCEPT milk fresh basil and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add all of the Ravioli Filling ingredients to a large bowl and toss until ravioli is evenly coated.
- After sauce has simmered 10 minutes, stir in 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup Parmesan and fresh basil to Tomato Basil Sauce. Stir until well combined.
- Spread ½ cup of Tomato Basil Sauce in lightly greased 9x13 casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of the Ravioli Filling, 1/2 of the Meat, 1/2 of remaining sauce and 1/2 of the mozzarella. Repeat layers. Top with ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until ravioli is cooked through then remove foil and broil cheese until golden.
Nutrition
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