Spinach Ravioli Bake is a dump-and-bake dinner with no pot of boiling water: uncooked cheese ravioli layered in a 9×13 dish with fresh spinach, tomatoes, tomato sauce and creamy Alfredo, covered with mozzarella and baked until bubbly. It takes 5 minutes to put together and serves 10.
How to make it: Spread chopped spinach in the dish, scatter drained tomatoes over it and arrange the ravioli on top. Pour on the tomato sauce and Alfredo, season with pepper, cover with mozzarella and bake covered at 350°F for about 30 minutes, uncovering for the last 10.
Why You’ll Love It
- No boiling: the ravioli cook right in the sauce.
- Five minutes of prep: layer, pour, sprinkle, bake.
- Two sauces: tomato sauce and Alfredo together make a creamy pink sauce.
- Feeds a crowd: a full 9×13 pan makes 10 servings.
Ingredient Notes
Cheese ravioli: Thirty-six to 40 ounces. Frozen ravioli that are partly thawed, refrigerated fresh ravioli, or par-boiled ravioli all work. Spinach, mushroom or meat-filled ravioli can replace cheese.
Fresh baby spinach: A 5-ounce bag, chopped. It goes on the bottom and wilts as the casserole bakes.
Tomatoes and tomato sauce: A 15-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, drained, and an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce.
Alfredo sauce: One 15-ounce jar, plain or flavored.
Mozzarella: Two cups, shredded, for the top.
Pepper and herbs: Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper, and a tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs to finish if you like.
Ingredients
- 36 ounces cheese ravioli (36 to 40 ounces), frozen and partly thawed, refrigerated, or par-boiled
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach (1 bag), chopped
- 15 ounces petite diced tomatoes (1 can), drained
- 8 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
- 15 ounces Alfredo sauce (1 jar)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped, optional
How to Make Spinach Ravioli Bake
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Layer the spinach and tomatoes. Spread the chopped spinach in a 9×13-inch baking dish and scatter the drained tomatoes over it.
3. Add the ravioli and sauces. Arrange the uncooked ravioli on top. Drizzle on the tomato sauce, then the Alfredo sauce, and smooth the top a little with a spatula. Season with the pepper.
4. Top with cheese. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top and add the herbs if using.
5. Bake. Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes, uncovering for the last 10 minutes so the top turns lightly golden, until the sauce and cheese bubble and the center reaches 165°F.
6. Rest. Let it cool in the dish for 5 minutes before serving.
Can You Bake Uncooked Ravioli? Yes, Here’s How
You don’t need to boil ravioli before they go into a casserole. Layered under enough sauce and baked covered, they cook right in the dish. That’s what makes this a true dump-and-bake.
Frozen ravioli. Let them sit out just long enough to separate, then layer them partly thawed. Ravioli can even go in straight from the freezer without thawing; a frozen ravioli lasagna bakes at 375°F for about 30 minutes before the cheese goes on for the last 5.
Keep them covered. Bake with the foil on and take it off only for the last 10 minutes, to melt and lightly brown the mozzarella.
Cover them with sauce. Pour the sauces over every layer of ravioli. With a thick jarred sauce, whisk in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water before layering. For a marinara version with uncooked ravioli, stir 1/4 cup of water into the sauce and add a few extra minutes to the bake.
Keep extra water out. Drain the canned tomatoes well. If you use frozen spinach instead of fresh, thaw it and squeeze it dry.
If you’d rather boil. Cook the ravioli at a low boil instead of a rapid one and stay near the pot so they don’t get waterlogged or burst.
Tips for Success
How do I know it’s done?
The sauce bubbles around the edges, the cheese is melted and lightly golden, and the center reads 165°F.
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes. Use about 10 ounces, thawed and squeezed dry, in place of the fresh spinach.
Can I use a smaller pan?
Yes. A smaller batch with 9 ounces of ravioli, 12 ounces of spaghetti sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella fits a 9×9 or 8×8 dish; bake it covered at 400°F for 20 to 30 minutes.
Variations
- Marinara only: spread 3/4 cup of spaghetti sauce in a greased 8×8 or 9×9 dish, add a single layer of 9 ounces of ravioli, top with 10 ounces of thawed, squeezed-dry frozen spinach and the rest of a 12-ounce jar of sauce, sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella, cover and bake at 400°F for 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbling.
- Alfredo with artichokes and pesto: layer 25 ounces of frozen ravioli with 8 ounces of chopped baby spinach, a drained and diced 16-ounce can of artichoke hearts, 2 cups of Alfredo mixed with 1/4 cup of pesto and 1/3 cup of low-sodium chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups of Italian cheese blend. Bake covered for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 15 to 20 more.
- Double-decker Alfredo: thin the Alfredo with a little water, then make two layers of ravioli, sauce and mozzarella. Bake covered at 425°F for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 5 to 10 more.
- Make it a freezer meal: layer everything in a freezer-safe dish, wrap it and freeze. Thaw it in the refrigerator, then bake as directed.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. FSIS lists cream sauces among foods that don’t freeze well, so the Alfredo may be less smooth after freezing. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with a green salad and garlic bread. For more ravioli, try slow cooker ravioli lasagna or dress plain ravioli with easy ravioli sauce. For more creamy pasta, there’s chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake and creamy spinach and mushroom gnocchi, and for more baked pasta, slow cooker baked ziti and 3-cheese sausage lasagna roll-ups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake uncooked ravioli in the oven?
Yes. Layer them under plenty of sauce, cover the dish with foil and bake. They cook through in the sauce in about 30 minutes at 350°F.
Do I need to boil ravioli before baking it?
No. This recipe skips boiling entirely. If you do boil them, use a gentle boil and watch them so they don’t burst.
Can you give me a recipe for frozen spinach ravioli?
Use frozen spinach ravioli in place of the cheese ravioli here, partly thawed, and follow the same layers and bake time.
What sauce goes best with spinach ravioli?
Creamy Alfredo, marinara, or both together as in this recipe. Alfredo with a little pesto is another combination.
Final Notes
Keep every ravioli under sauce, keep the foil on until the last 10 minutes, and let the pan rest before cutting. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Spinach Ravioli Bake
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Ingredients
- 36 ounces cheese ravioli 36 to 40 ounces, frozen and partly thawed, refrigerated, or par-boiled
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach 1 bag, chopped
- 15 ounces petite diced tomatoes 1 can, drained
- 8 ounces tomato sauce 1 can
- 15 ounces Alfredo sauce 1 jar
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread the chopped spinach in a 9x13-inch baking dish and scatter the drained tomatoes over it.
- Arrange the uncooked ravioli on top. Drizzle on the tomato sauce, then the Alfredo sauce, and smooth the top a little with a spatula. Season with the pepper.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top and add the herbs if using.
- Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes, uncovering for the last 10 minutes so the top turns lightly golden, until the sauce and cheese bubble and the center reaches 165°F.
- Let it cool in the dish for 5 minutes before serving.
