Ravioli Lasagna Recipe
Ravioli Lasagna recipe - an easy and delicious family dinner recipe.
We have a new family favorite dinner. This ravioli lasagna recipe is so easy and sure to please a crowd.
When we were in the process of moving last year we were in a state of limbo for several months. We had to have a lot of work done on our old house before we could sell it, so after the months of packing and moving out of our house, we then lived in an AirBnB for two months while the house was remodeled before we could list it.
With all the chaos and upheaval I didn’t have the energy to do a lot of cooking from scratch. We were very close to a Costco so we basically lived off all the amazing pre-made dinners from Costco every night. They had so many options and we tried them all, but definitely found a few favorites - and their ravioli lasagna was one of our top favorites.
Now that we’re all settled in our new home and I’m back to cooking every night, I thought I could probably easily recreate that amazing ravioli lasagna recipe at home. And I was right. This is so easy to make and everyone loves it, and I’m sure this ravioli lasagna recipe is going to become a regular on our family meal plan.
You hardly need a recipe, but I’ve listed it out below for you anyway.
As with everything I make, this will be super flexible and you can basically add anything to it you want. I kept this one vegetarian, mostly just to keep it simple. I added some fresh baby spinach to add a bit more nutrition and some green to the mix. You could certainly add some meat in here too if you like, some crumbled up sausage or browned ground beef. And you could use any kind of ravioli you like, I just went with the inexpensive store brand cheese ravioli because my kids love those.
Ravioli Lasagna Recipe
Two bags of frozen cheese ravioli
Two 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes (or sauce of your choice)
One container of washed baby spinach
One 32 oz container of ricotta cheese
Several cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Seasoning as desired - a little salt and pepper, some dried herbs (I like thyme and rosemary), a drizzle of olive oil.
All you’re going to do is layer all these things in your pan. I use a big nonstick roasting pan for lasagna, because we like it thick with lots of layers. I always start with a bit of sauce on the bottom, just to keep things from sticking. And then just layer - pasta, cheeses, sauce, spinach, etc. - until your pan is full. One last layer of cheese on top and then cover it with foil and pop in the oven at 350 for about and hour and 15 minutes, and then take off the foil for another 15 minutes. About 90 minutes total should do it - you just want it all bubbly and melted and getting a bit brown on top.
A note about sauce: I’ve taken to using canned crushed tomatoes as my tomato “sauce” of choice in almost all things. They give you great tomato flavor without any added sugar or salt. I always try to keep several cans in my pantry. This is what I use on pizza also. Sometimes I season it with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, and a little ground thyme and rosemary. Sometimes I leave it plain if I’m in a hurry.
One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Easy homemade mac and cheese recipe that cooks in one pot in 15 minutes from start to finish.
Are you looking for an easy homemade mac and cheese recipe?
Below is my recipe for the best easy homemade mac and cheese you will ever make!
Not only is it delicious, but this Macaroni and Cheese Recipe also is FAST and EASY to make, and you make it in ONE POT!
Nobody wants to stand over a hot stove on a summer day - so this easy mac & cheese recipe comes together in 15 minutes!
I came up with this recipe when I was in a hurry for a kid dinner one night not too long ago, and it has been one of my favorites ever since.
This is the easiest homemade mac and cheese you will ever make!
It is just as good as Grandma's old fashioned recipe. Maybe even better, because you didn't slave over it.
It takes 15 minutes, about as long as it would take you to make one from a box!
Seriously, I timed it.
I had the whole thing done and the stove turned off exactly 15 minutes from the time I turned the burner on.
You've seen all those Pinterest posts about "one pot wonder" pasta dishes. Well this is like one of those. But it's homemade MACARONI AND CHEESE.
You might look at this and realize that it's similar to a lot of other homemade mac & cheese recipes. It is. The ingredients are basically the same. But the technique is different.
This is a one pot recipe. You don't drain the pasta!
This is comfort food - it is creamy and cheesy and fills your tummy, just like comfort food should. But unlike a lot of comfort foods that take hours to make, this takes only minutes. It almost sounds too good to be true, but it's not!
One Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
Instructions
- Put macaroni, salt, 5 cups of water, and butter in a pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring frequently, until most of the water is absorbed (about 10-12 minutes). If the water is almost gone but you don't think the pasta is done enough, then add the rest of the water, 1/2 cup at a time. Thicker pasta is going to absorb more water.
- Meanwhile, mix the flour and spices into the cold milk.
- When the pasta is mostly cooked and the water mostly absorbed, add the milk mixture and stir until well combined.
- Then add the shredded cheese, and mix over low heat just until the cheese is melted and mixed in.
- Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for a few minutes to thicken.
Notes
- Use whatever kind of cheese you like - I think it's great with a combination of cheeses.
- If you really want this to look like the box stuff, get the small elbow macaroni. If that doesn't matter so much to you, then try other shapes - little shells are nice, or curly pasta - you just want something that is going to grab that cheesy sauce and hold onto it.
- If you really want it to taste more like the box stuff, then go ahead and use a little processed cheese. I've done it with American cheese and it tastes great! I just use the slices and tear it into pieces. I think a blend of a little American cheese plus a little sharp cheddar gets you a really nice flavor.
- The seasoning and spices are definitely flexible. I keep it mild because my kids are picky. But if you want more spice or kick to it, then go for it.
- It reheats great - just add a little more milk.
No drain pasta - One pot Pasta!
The quick and easy way to cook pasta - one pot, no draining, ready in about 10 minutes.
I’m about to completely change the way you cook pasta.
Once you cook pasta with this no-drain one pot pasta method, you’ll wonder why you ever did it any other way. This is the only way I cook pasta any more - the no draining method.
All those years spent thinking pasta had to be cooked in gallons of water - I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to do that.
This way is so much faster, and it works perfectly every time.
Here is the basic formula for one pot no drain pasta:
1 package of pasta + 4 cups cold water.
In a shallow pot, one pound of pasta, any shape, needs about 4 cups of cold water. A standard sized package of most kinds of pasta in the US is usually one pound.
You can play around with this ratio and figure out what works for you, if you like your pasta softer or more firm, but I’ve found these quantities to be pretty spot on for us.
I add a bit of salt and butter, bring it up to a simmer, stir occasionally until the water is absorbed and pasta is cooked, maybe 10 minutes. If you want to add sauce of any kind, do that when most of the water is absorbed.
My kids favorite - which I recently found out that most children in Italy eat and they call it Pasta Blanco - White Pasta:
When the pasta is almost finished, add a little more butter and a few tablespoons of cream. Mix well until the butter is all melted. Taste and see if it needs a bit more salt. Serve with parmesan cheese on top.
This is so quick and easy. No waiting for water to boil! No rinsing. No draining. You are going to wonder why you ever did it any other way.
A quick and easy way to cook pasta!
We've always been told that pasta had to be cooked in a big pot with lots of water, and we never really questioned it. Until now.
I have seen mentions of this alternative method of cooking pasta here and there, and figured I had better give it a try.
The basic idea is that instead of using a bunch of extra water in a huge pot, you cook your pasta in a smaller pan with just enough water to get it cooked through - no excess. The starchiness in the water is not a problem, because that extra starch is part of what contributes to an extra creamy sauce that will really stick to your noodles. Restaurant chefs have known about that trick for a long time - they always add a ladle of pasta water to their sauce.
Basic cooked pasta:
- 1 package (usually about a pound) of pasta
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4-6 cups cold water (see notes below)
The butter might not be necessary in a non-stick pan, but I am using a cast iron pan so I always like to have a little oil in there.
The quantity of water will vary depending on your type of pasta and your desired end result. Here is used a very thin angel hair pasta and I just was serving it buttered, so I used only 4 cups. But for thicker pasta like penne you will need more water - so go up to 5 cups. If you are making a sauce then you will want to have a little water left in your pan after the pasta is fully cooked, to help blend in the sauce, so go up to 6 cups.
So - 4 cups for thin pasta, no sauce. 6 cups for thick pasta with sauce. Or adjust in between to suit your needs. As with everything, I think it's a bit of trial and error. If your water is all absorbed but your pasta is not yet fully cooked, then add a bit more hot water.
Directions:
Place everything in a pan just big enough to contain it all and wide enough that the pasta can be fully submerged in the water.
Turn on the heat and bring up to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure the pasta doesn't stick together, until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
It will take about 10- 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pasta.
And that's it! Perfectly cooked pasta in less time than it would take to even get a pot of water boiling.
Once it's done you can serve as is, or add your sauce. My kids are picky about sauce, some like it and some don't, so I tend to serve the sauce on the side. But you could just add a little cream and some herbs and parmesan cheese to this for a super quick and simple weeknight pasta dish, or toss in a jar of your favorite tomato sauce.