Try this Lazy Girl's Ravioli Lasagna recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 16.40303649161 g
- Cholesterol 69.5508300486667 mg
- Fat 15.1242387214133 g
- Fiber 2.95414716925515 g
- Protein 24.0182213279467 g
- Saturated Fat 6.72793420297667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (217g)
- Sodium 714.544262529 mg
- Sugar 13.4488893223548 g
- Trans Fat 1.422042704526 g
- Calories 304 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, seasoning with garlic salt and pepper, until no longer pink. Drain then return to the skillet and set aside.
- Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Add 1/3 the frozen ravioli, ground beef, sauce, and cheese. Repeat layers two more times.
- Cover with a sheet of non-stick sprayed foil then bake for 1 hour. Remove foil then bake for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
Using thawed pasta sheets instead of frozen ravioli results in a waterlogged casserole that slips apart when portioned. Keeping the ravioli frozen solid allows the surrounding marinara sauce to hydrate the pasta dough precisely during baking without dissolving its structure. Standard lasagna typically requires boiling flat sheets and painstakingly layering ricotta mixtures, whereas substituting filled pasta eliminates multiple preparation steps entirely.
Baking requires a precise thermal environment of 400 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure the heat penetrates the frozen layers before the cheese burns. Covering the 8x8 baking dish tightly with aluminum sprayed with non-stick coating traps steam, which softens the pasta casing. Trapped moisture cooks the beef and pasta evenly during the initial 60 minutes in the oven.
Removing the foil cover for the final 10 minutes exposes the mozzarella to direct dry heat, promoting Maillard browning and evaporating excess surface liquid. Visual readiness is indicated by bubbling edges and a deeply golden cheese crust. Letting the dish rest for 10 minutes prior to slicing allows the melted dairy fats to solidify slightly, ensuring clean structural squares upon serving.
Ground beef must be drained thoroughly after browning in the skillet to prevent excess rendered fat from pooling in the bottom of the baking dish. Excess grease separates from the marinara sauce and creates an oily barrier that prevents the cheese from adhering to the top layer. Seasoning the meat directly with garlic salt during browning distributes flavor evenly throughout the dense layers of beef.
