Easy Cheesy Ravioli Lasagne

black spatula lifting ravioli lasagne from white baking dish

5 from 1 vote

An easier, cheesier version of a classic lasagne - this Ravioli Lasagne is comfort food through and through! Makes 4 big portions or 5 regular.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2 30

Total Time2 45

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2.50 / $3

Equipment

9" x 9" Casserole Dish (or similar size)
Large Pot with Lid
Wooden Spoon
Serving Spoon (to spread layers)
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Box Grater (for cheese/shredding carrot)

Ingredients

Ragu

1lb / 500g Ground Beef (see notes)
1 cup / 240ml Tomato Passata (pureed strained tomatoes in US)
1 cup / 240ml Beef Stock
1/2 cup / 120ml Red Wine
1 medium Onion, finely diced
1 rib of Celery, finely diced
1 medium Carrot, grated on a box grater
2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Basil
2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, plus more to serve
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp EACH: Oregano, Sugar
Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Olive Oil, as needed

Ravioli Lasagne

1lb / 500g Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli (see notes)
2 cups / 200g Mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup / 40g freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

In a large pot over medium heat add a drizzle of olive oil with onion, carrot and celery. Sweat everything down until soft and just beginning to brown, then add in garlic and fry for another minute or so. Add in beef and fry until fully browned, breaking up with your wooden spoon as you go.
Add tomato paste and fry off for a couple of mins, then pour in wine. Deglaze the pan if needed and allow to simmer for a few mins. Pour in stock and passata, then stir in parsley, basil, oregano, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper.
Pop on the lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour 30mins, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and allow to reduce for another 10-15mins. You may not need to do it for this long depending on how much steam escapes. The consistency shouldn’t be watery, but it should be saucy enough to pour/spread and cook the ravioli (see video below for reference).
In a 9x9" baking dish add a spoonful of the ragu (just to stop the ravioli sticking). Add a layer of ravioli, then ragu, then a handful of mozzarella. Repeat 2 more times, finishing with parmesan on top. So that's 4 layers of ragu (including the spoonful at the bottom), 3 layers of ravioli and 3 layers of mozzarella.
Pop in the oven at 180C/350F for 30-40mins or until golden and gooey (cover with foil if the top browns too quickly). Allow to rest for 5-10mins to retain it's shape then serve up with extra parsley and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Beef - I usually go for 10-12% fat. This way you get a bit of fatty flavour, but not so much the ragu goes oily. If you've only got very fat beef (like 15-20%), I recommend draining away most of the fat after it's fried.

b) What kind of Ravioli to use? - I find spinach & ricotta works amazingly here. A lot of American-Italian lasagna recipes have ricotta, so this recipe is quite reminiscent of that. If you're in the UK you can find Spinach & Ricotta ravioli in Waitrose, and I know they used to sell it in Tescos and M&S too. I have also tried this recipe with Basil & Pine Nut Ravioli (Sainsbury's) which worked nicely too. For this recipe I used 48 pieces of ravioli (3 layers of 16) which fits perfectly in a 9x9" dish.

c) Do I have to precook the Ravioli? - Nope! It cooks in the oven.

d) Can I make the Ragu ahead of time? - You can make the ragu ahead of time and just construct on the night for ease. Just allow to completely cool then tightly store in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer. I recommend just loosening it up in the pan before stacking the lasagne otherwise it's quite tricky to spread (add a dash of water to loosen up if needed).

e) Can I prep the whole Lasagne ahead of time? - I find this is best cooked right away, otherwise you run the risk of the ravioli cooking slightly as it rests, meaning it can sometimes be too soft once it's cooked. To avoid this I recommend allowing the ragu to completely cool before stacking the lasagne if you're prepping it ahead of time. Tightly store in the fridge for a few days then bake as instructed (it may take another 10mins or so to cook right through if baking right from the fridge). You could also freeze then thaw and bake as instructed.

f) Calories - Based on using 1 tbsp olive oil, 10% beef and shared between 5 people:

Nutrition