Skillet Ravioli Lasagna comes together in 30 minutes with slow-baked, hearty flavor. Vegetarian version and instructions for adding meat.
Skillet Ravioli Lasagna came about one evening at the last minute when I hadn’t planned for dinner (you feel me?) but the time was fast approaching and people in the house were hungry! I had all these ingredients in the kitchen but had been saving them for Round Three of a slow cooker recipe that I was trying to perfect. The slow cooker version I’d been wrestling with included ground meat in the sauce and when my daughter suggested subbing out the meat with mushrooms, I decided to throw something together just to feed our crowd and head back to the drawing board for the slow cooked version another time.
Skillet Ravioli Lasagna was born! It was hugely successful and ready in 30 minutes, so needless to say I’ve scrapped making a slow cooker version. This skillet meal had all the flavors of a laborious, oven-baked lasagna. I’ve seen many lasagna recipes that brag “only 30 minute prep”. This recipe is start to finish in that amount of time! Plus, I only had to wash my skillet (and the bowl I used to quick-start the mushrooms in the microwave), no huge clean up or scrubbing a caked-on lasagna pan. Also, since most slow cooker lasagnas only cook for three or four hours, this doesn’t really help people who work a full day and want something waiting in the CrockPot when they get home.
The printable recipe gives you necessary quantities and clear steps, but you only need eyeball the layers, adding more or less of something depending on your taste. Of course use a good quality favorite spaghetti sauce; I love Prego’s Fresh Market Spaghetti Sauce. The recipe is basically two layers each of- spaghetti sauce, Parmesan cheese to help thicken the sauce during cooking, frozen ravioli, mozzarella, mushrooms, spinach and basil. (Thaw the ravioli on your counter on in the microwave just a bit before layering.)
Add as much or as little of the sauce and cheeses depending on how saucy or cheesy you want the lasagna.
I topped the final layer with sliced, rather than grated, mozzarella, and lots of Parmessan because I like a lot of cheese to top my lasagna.
You could finish the Skillet Ravioli Lasagna under the broiler to make your cheese really bubbly and crisp, or if like me you always forget to use your oven-safe skillet, just cover during the last few minutes of simmering to melt the cheesy top.
All the flavors are super fresh and just right for a hungry, impatient, crowd. I made quick garlic toast under the broiler and served it with a tossed green salad. Everything was ready and tasted slow-cooked and homemade in minutes and clean-up was a breeze.
My favorite part of lasagna is a crispy toasted top. But in the skillet version, the bottom gets toasty instead so yay! This bonus only adds to the hearty, robust flavor of the skillet lasagna. Using ravioli instead of regular lasagna noodles adds extra creamy, cheesy flavor that usually comes with adding ricotta. You could add ricotta on the side, too.
As you can see by the photo above- showcasing the crispy bottom, this is kind of a deconstructed lasagna rather than a thick stack. However, when you refrigerate the leftovers, upon heating the following day it resembles a more traditional high stacked version. So if that’s your goal, make this a day ahead and then transfer the lasagna to a casserole dish and refrigerate overnight. Heat in your oven and serve. Do I need to tell you that this recipe tastes even better the next day?
Skillet Ravioli Lasagna serves up five or six adults depending on appetites, plus you could easily make this a meat sauce lasagna. If that’s your preference; brown one pound ground beef in the skillet (or half beef and half Italian sausage) until no longer pink on the outside. Drain and then remove the meat to a plate. Using the same skillet, start your layers adding the meat into the sauce layer during assembly.
For those of you who need a delicious dinner in even less than 30 minutes, be sure to check out my Chicken Enchiladas In A Skillet. This recipe was one of the top 100 recipes of 2016 at All Free Casserole Recipes, an excellent site to get ideas for all things casserole. If you aren’t familiar with their site, check them out for everything from Easy Casseroles to recipes for Slow Cooker Casseroles. A favorite section of mine is the Helpful Hints and Cooking Tips.
This is such an easily customizable meal; add extra vegetables to your layers or even some sliced olives. I hope you’ll add these ingredients as staples in your fridge and pantry. Because the next time you need something quick but delicious, I think you’re going to love this one. In fact, I know it. 🙂
If you love easy casserole-type recipes like this, you’re sure to get more inspiration at All Free Casserole Recipes.
Skillet Ravioli Lasagna
Ingredients
- 8 oz. fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2- 23.5 oz. jarred spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided, plus extra for serving
- 1- 25 oz. package frozen cheese ravioli, thawed on counter or in microwave (you won't use all of it) You may also use refrigerated ravioli
- 16 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
- 2 cups fresh spinach, rough chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place 8 ounces mushrooms, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and ½ teaspoon dried oregano in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for approximately 5 minutes to release some of the moisture from the mushrooms. Pour out any accumulated moisture from the bowl. Set mushrooms aside.
- In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, drizzle 2 Tablespoons oil. Spread about ½ cup spaghetti sauce over the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
- Layer enough ravioli to almost cover the sauce layer, approximately 10 or 11.
- Sprinkle grated mozzarella over the ravioli, to your liking, covering all the ravioli pieces and depending on how cheesy you want your lasagna.
- Place about ⅓ of the mushrooms over the mozzarella cheese.
- Sprinkle about 1 Tablespoon of the fresh basil over the mushrooms and mozzarella.
- Add half 1 cup chopped spinach, spreading over all.
- Cover this layer with more sauce to thinly cover.
Cook's Note:
- As you can tell, you can't get this wrong. Add the quantites of most of the ingredients to your liking as you go.
- Next, sprinkle a generous amount of Parmesan cheese over the sauce. Adding the Parmesan to the sauce layer helps to thicken it as it cooks.
- Now repeat with another layer of ravioli, mushrooms, mozzarella, basil, spinach, sauce, and Parmesan.
- For the final layer (top), place only 3 or 4 more raviolis over the layers, more sauce, then more Parmesan, and mozzarella. Add the rest of the mushrooms and sprinkle more basil, using all or some of what you have left, to your liking.
- Now sprinkle Parmesan once more over everything and some freshly grated black pepper.
- Turn heat to medium until the sauce starts barely bubbling through the ravioli. Turn to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Cover for cook until mozzarella topping has melted and lasagna is nice and bubbly, approximately 5 minutes.
- Uncover and try not to let any moisture that accumulated on the lid drip back into the dish. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- Leftovers are even better, as seems to be the case with most casserole type recipes.
- If you want to add meat to this recipe, brown one pound ground beef in the skillet (or half beef and half Italian sausage) until no longer pink on the outside. Drain and then remove the meat to a plate. Using the same skillet, start your layers adding the meat into the sauce layer during assembly.
Major hit with the kids! I added ground beef to our and sprinkled green onions before serving. Was amazingly good!
my family loved it! Didn’t make any changes. Very good and super easy.
It smells delicious while its cooking, It was even more delicious for dinner! Thanks Sally for sharing 🙂
I made this for my teenager and it was a hit! very good and easy enough for the week nights.
Super easy! I cook a lot and am always trying new recipes and because of the simplicity of this and the flavorful results, I’ll be making it again. My husband kept saying how good it was.
Thanks, Jan! This is just awesome to hear. 🙂
What type or brand of ravioli do you suggest?