Easy peasy cheese and tomato baked ravioli. Use pre-made, shop-bought ravioli and transform them into a delectable, comforting dinner in minutes.
Listen, today’s post is a bit of a cheat. Ok fine. A really big cheat. Because other than making the tomato sauce (and in a pinch, you can even outsource that), there is very little effort required on your part.
The idea for this recipe came to me last week when I was browsing the aisles of my local supermarket, looking for inspiration for dinner. I was in the mood for cheese and pasta (what else is new?) but didn’t want to faff for too long. That’s when I spotted the ready-made ravioli. I am not the type of person to buy ready-made filled pasta. A) I find them to be a little expensive and b) they’re often bland and flavorless. But I threw a few packets into my trolley and decided to play with them.
Now let me first say, this recipe only works with store-bought ravioli. Please don’t use your delicate, beautifully fresh, handmade ravioli for this. It would be a complete waste. Just like my baked gnocchi with bacon and tomato, this recipe works because of the firmness of ready-made ravioli (or in that case, gnocchi).
Where ready-made ravioli simply cooked and dressed in sauce can often be tough and a little unpleasant in texture, baking them in a rich tomato sauce with layers of melty mozzarella results in an incredibly moreish dinner. Their robust texture (read: toughness) actually works beautifully when baked. It almost begs for it.
The tomato sauce I baked the ravioli in was a simple 10 minute sauce I made with cherry tomatoes, red onion and a good splash of Balsamic vinegar. This was layered with the blanched pasta and sliced mozzarella and then baked until bubbling and golden. From prep to plate in no more than 30 minutes (if you work fast, even less). Ooey, gooey cheesy pasta for dinner? Yes please!
How to make baked ravioli
Make a simple tomato sauce by cooking onions, garlic and tomatoes with Balsamic vinegar. Blanch store-bought ravioli of your choice for a few minutes in boiling water then drain. Combine with sauce and layer in an oven-proof dish with mozzarella. Bake until hot and bubbling then serve.
Can I use another type of stuffed pasta?
Absolutely. Any shape or kind of stuffed pasta will work in this recipe. Tortellini and Pansotti are probably the two most easily accessible varieties but feel free to explore with whatever you can find.
How long does baked ravioli take to cook in the oven?
Because both the sauce and the ravioli are already cooked, you just need the mozzarella to melt and everything to warm through in the oven. The ravioli should take no longer than 10-15 minutes to bake in the oven.
Easy baked pasta recipes:
- Baked Caprese Gnocchi
- Baked gnocchi with bacon, tomatoes and mozzarella
- Creamy mushroom pasta bake
- Classic baked mac and cheese
- Easy cheese and tomato pasta bake
Cheese and tomato baked ravioli
Ingredients
for the tomato sauce
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1/2 cup water/stock
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- salt & pepper to taste
for the ravioli bake
- 500 g ready-made shop-bought ravioli (I used a butternut-filled ravioli)
- 150 g mozzarella thinly sliced
- fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°c
- To make the sauce, fry the onion and garlic in a splash of olive oil until soft and translucent then add the tomatoes, stock, Balsamic and sugar.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until reduced and thickened slightly. Season to taste.
- In the meantime, blanche the ravioli in plenty of salted water for a minute then drain and set aside.
- To assemble the bake, layer the blanched ravioli with the tomato sauce and sliced mozzarella.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Remove from the oven once baked and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Nutrition
Easy cheese and tomato pasta bake
Classic baked mac and cheese
I only have good, bottled tomato sauce on hand and I would like to make this tonite. How much would I need?
I would say 2 cups at least. You could add more to make it saucier.
Hi
Can frozen ravioli be used in this recipe.
Yes, absolutely!
Your recipes always sound so good, but I have a problem with your measurements being in grams. Any way you could do a conversion to ounce, cups, etc.
I try to include conversions where possible but you can also have a look at the conversion chart in the side bar for easy measurement conversions.
What type of stock did you use for this recipe?
Either chicken or vegetable stock will be good in this, it just depends on wether you are vegetarian or not.
Looks delicious Alida! Comfort food at its best!
Thanks Mary Ann! x
This looks great! I’m going to try this soon!
Thanks Roxana! 🙂 Let me know what you think once you’ve tried it.