Weeknight Lazy Lasagna with Frozen Cheese Ravioli

This lazy ravioli lasagna is my official go-to recipe for the busiest of weeks. Like leading up to Christmas when I'm balancing holiday concerts, school parties, and eleventy-seven gift exchanges. Or, during "Maycember" when we're going to and fro from soccer games, graduation parties, and end-of-the-year get-togethers.

It's got all those cozy comfort food vibes without the effort required because sometimes you just need a weeknight win when your world gets hectic. With this delicious lasagna, there's no boiling noodles, no fussy layering, and no energy required beyond "open the freezer and dump things in a pan." Now that's my kind of recipe.

What I love most about this lasagna is that it looks and tastes like I went all out, but you and I both know I absolutely did not. Frozen cheese ravioli takes the place of traditional lasagna noodles, a quick ricotta-spinach-pesto situation adds big flavor, and everything bakes into a cheesy, bubbly, saucy stack of heaven.

Even better: this is one of those easy meals that makes enough for company, freezes beautifully, it's kid-approved (huge win in my opinion), and it's the kind of recipe that makes you feel like a kitchen genius even on a busy night when you're running on fumes. I love those, don't you?

I'm banking on you going crazy over this easy dinner recipe as much as my family does, and if you're wanting more of those no-fuss, kid friendly recipes, well you're in luck. My hamburger helper is a repeat recipe in our house. So are my sloppy joes.

I'm also a sucker for a sheet pan dinner and my sheet pan honey mustard chicken thighs is always a hit. Love a one-pot meal? Then my lemon boursin pasta is a must. Or, try this mushroom mac and cheese for another meatless option.

Enough about that though. Ready to get to that easy lasagna? Let's do it.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tasty Tip
• Frequently asked questions
• Related
• Pairing
• 🍽Get the recipe
• Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
• Food safety

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this easy ravioli lasagna recipe:

• whole-milk ricotta cheese
• frozen spinach
• large egg
• pesto
• kosher salt
• part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan
• marinara sauce
• frozen ravioli
• fresh basil

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!

Hint: Coat the underside of the aluminum foil with cooking spray so it doesn't stick to the cheesy top of the lasagna.

Hint #2: Don't thaw the ravioli--there's no need! Plus, they will stick together and make it hard to assemble the lasagna.

Hint #3: Let the lasagna stand for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. It'll be easier to slice.

Substitutions

Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some ideas:

• Cheese ravioli - Use your favorite flavor of frozen ravioli. Beef, spinach-ricotta, or mushroom ravioli are all delicious.
• Ricotta - Cottage cheese is having a moment and will work instead of the ricotta. I recommend blending it first for smoothness.
• Spinach - Frozen spinach is best because it doesn't water out (be sure to squeeze out the liquid upon thawing.) You can sauté fresh spinach and squeeze it, if you prefer. Or, swap with frozen (thawed) kale or frozen (thawed) Swiss chard. Other frozen greens like collards or turnip greens work too.
• Pesto - For this recipe, both refrigerated pesto and jarred pesto are excellent choices. You can also use sundried tomato pesto if you'd like.
• Mozzarella - Instead of part-skim mozzarella, use whole milk mozzarella, provolone, or Monterey Jack cheese.
• Marinara - Any tomato sauce is great: try arrabbiata, tomato basil, roasted garlic, or even vodka sauce.
• Fresh basil - If you don't have fresh basil, that's okay--you can just omit it. Or, top with other fresh herbs you may have on hand. Fresh parsley or oregano are great options.

Variations

Check out these additional ways to change up this homemade lasagna recipe:

• Meaty Lasagna - Add cooked Italian sausage or ground beef between layers for a meaty option. Check out the instructions for my meat lovers lasagna recipe. It is easy to marry that classic lasagna recipe with this shortcut version.
• Veggie Loaded - Layer sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, or roasted red peppers in between the ravioli, cheese, and sauce for a vegetable-packed lasagna.
• White Lasagna - Instead of marinara, use Alfredo sauce and add shredded rotisserie chicken.
• Spicy - Opt for a spicy pasta sauce or stir in crushed red pepper flakes to the marinara sauce.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:

• measuring spoons
• 13- x 9-inch casserole dish
• 2 medium bowls
• box grater
• dry measuring cups

Storage

Refrigerator: If you only have a little leftover lasagna, transfer to an airtight container. Or, tightly cover the cooled baking dish and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Freezer (unbaked): Assemble the lasagna in a freezer-safe or a disposable pan, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until bubbly and browned around the edges and hot in the middle, uncovering during the last 20 minutes.

Freezer (baked): Cool the lasagna completely and divide into smaller portions if necessary. Transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Frequently asked questions

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this lazy lasagna recipe:

🍽Get the recipe

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.

• Cook the lasagna to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw eggs.
• Wash hands after touching raw eggs.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.