Ravioli Bake
I like the idea of ravioli. It is even yummy sometimes. But when I prepare it according to the package instructions, I always end up with a mess of broken up pasta and floating contents. It isn’t good eats!
But I decided to try putting frozen, store bought ravioli into a pan and baking it. It was wonderful. It is also open to almost anything you want to add into it.
Here is a suggested recipe, but you can add almost anything you like with pasta. You could use a homemade pasta sauce, but I usually use something store bought. I don’t put meat in it, but you could certainly add sausage or shredded chicken. I wrote this recipe with a red sauce, but it works with a white or pink sauce as well.
I’m using cheese ravioli, but you could use any kind you like. I do like the Rana brand and the Publix house brand.
In this recipe I’m going to use mushrooms, olives, capers, a yellow bell pepper, and both mozzarella and Romano cheeses. Other things you could add include spicy peppers, carrots, cottage cheese, sour cream, peas, bacon, clams, sundried tomatoes, pesto, artichoke hearts, spinach, pumpkin, fennel bulb, fresh herbs, etc. Use your imagination‼ Just chop them well and add them to a layer.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 1 – 1 ¼ hours (most of that is baking time)
Need a 9x9 pan sprayed with non-stick spray
Preheat oven to 350°
Ingredients:
1 lb frozen cheese ravioli
24 oz jar of pasta sauce (your choice of flavor)
1 med yellow bell pepper, diced
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
½ cup kalamata olives, seeded and sliced
2 tbsp capers, well drained
5 clvs peeled garlic, finely minced
1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Romano cheese, shredded
Olive oil
Instructions:
In the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, put 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1⁄3 of the pasta sauce. Spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Top with half the ravioli, in one layer. On top of the ravioli, place the mushroom, olives, and ½ of the mozzarella cheese. Top with 1⁄3 of the pasta sauce and spread evenly over all.
Top the pasta sauce with the minced garlic, then the remaining ravioli in a layer. Top the ravioli with the bell peppers, capers and the remaining mozzarella. On top of that add the remaining sauce, spread evenly. Finish with the Romano cheese.
Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes to an hour. The internal temp (and be sure you are measuring inside a ravioli) should be at least 160°.
Serve this with a salad, some bread, or just consider it a one dish meal. It has all you need‼