Made easy with store-bought cheese ravioli, this Sausage Ravioli pasta dish is a good recipe to have on-hand for weeknights… it’s saucy, cheesy and so delicious!
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Here’s one of my favorite dinner recipes that the whole family will love. It’s cheesy, warm, gooey and delicious…just the kind of thing you want on the dinner table for busy weeknights.
This is one of those really tasty, easy meals, and here’s a few more reasons to make this Italian Sausage Ravioli:
- This is an easy ravioli bake dish that you can make a day or two in advance.
- We’ll make a quick and fresh tomato sauce instead of traditional marinara sauce to take the flavors next level.
- We’ll use fresh pasta, stuffed with ricotta cheese.
- Chicken Sausage gives the layers of ravioli some heft, this is a hearty pasta!
- This is an easy recipe that uses simple to find ingredients, Parmesan, mozzarella, parsley, olive oil, tomatoes and pasta.
- This recipe comes together quickly, especially on weeknights when we need good food fast.
For another quick and easy dinner idea, try these Shredded Chicken Burrito Bowls, this amazing Cast Iron Skillet Pizza and this fabulous 30-minute Meatballs in Marinara Sauce Recipe!
Love pasta? Try this Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage, and Summer Pasta too….both are reader favorites!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the full recipe and list of instructions, please scroll to the recipe card below.
Here’s what you need:
- Cheese Ravioli: Choose fresh or frozen ravioli, either will be delicious
- Sausage: Use chicken sausage or mild Italian sausage
- Cheese: Fresh mozzarella is the best. Regular works fine if you can’t find mozzarella in brine. Plenty of Parmesan cheese is needed too.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes on or off the the vine
- Fresh Garlic: Just a little bit, for a deep flavor
- Parsley: Italian flat leaf (also known as my favorite ingredient)
- Olive Oil: To cook with the tomatoes, and also finish the dish.
Step-By-Step Instructions
For the full recipe and list of instructions and ingredients, please scroll to the recipe card below.
- For the chunky fresh tomato sauce, use a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil & chopped shallot, cook until soft,about 4 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic,red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook until the tomatoes begin to release their juices and the mixture comes together to make the pasta sauce, about 15 minutes.
- Brown sausage on medium high heat without their casings, if any, until no longer pink, breaking it into sausage crumbles as you go with a wooden spoon.
- Add this to the tomato sauce with the tomato paste, and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Tips for Assembling
For the full recipe, ingredients and instructions, please scroll to the recipe card below.
After you have:
- cooked the ravioli in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions
- made the tomato and sausage sauce
- grated the cheese
- Then, add the ravioli to a large bowl with a slotted spoon into the tomato and sausage mixture and gently toss with some of the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Pre-heat the oven to 350˚F.
- Transfer to a baking dish – add a single layer of ravioli, then a bit more cheese and another layer if your baking dish is large enough, and finish with more mozzarella cheese.
- Bake and it’s ready to serve!
Expert Tips and Serving Ideas
- Drain the fresh mozzarella on a paper towel before adding it to the pasta.
- Tear the mozzarella rather than cutting or grating it onto rough-sized pieces, about 2″ each, to place over the top of the ravioli mixture. Looks luscious and rustic!
- Drizzle a teaspoon or so of olive oil over the top the pasta before baking, and sprinkle with lots chopped fresh parsley. This step makes a big difference in presentation and overall flavor.
- Serve the ravioli bake with more Parmesan cheese and olive oil, if desired.
Some other recipes that would go well with this pasta dish are:
- Hot, cheesy, garlic bread.
- A refreshing and delicious Celery Salad with Hazelnuts or this Pan Roasted Pear Salad.
- Serve this pasta as a side to Pan Seared Chicken.
- A fun dessert like Mini Caramel Apple Pies or Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar, or these outstanding Lemon Shortbread Cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some recipes for baked ravioli use a method of layering the pasta without boiling it first and then baking, but in this recipe, I recommend that you boil the fresh or frozen ravioli first based on the directions of the package for best results.
No, boil the ravioli frozen or thawed. Just be aware that if it’s thawed it will require a little less cooking time (again, consult the directions on the package.)
Yes! Try ground turkey or beef, or even spicy Italian Sausage instead of mild.
You can certainly use cheese tortellini instead. I like the fresh versions that are in the refrigerator section of the supermarket.
More Recipes to Try:
- Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce: Better than take-out, these flavors are amazing!
- Shortcut Chicken Pot Pie Recipe: Some easy short cuts for this family favorite!
- Best Rotisserie Chicken Salad: Fresh and easy, this one is a keeper!
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes: Easy and delicious!
- Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage Another tasty baked pasta recipe..reader favorite!
- Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup Cozy, warm and so delicious..this recipe will warm you up!
- Skillet Taco Bake An easy weeknight meal!
- Guinness Irish Chili: This is a great recipe, SO good.
- Easy Lodge Cast Iron Pizza Recipe: A fabulous version of pizza to make at home.
- Lemon Artichoke Dip You’ll want to make this again and again…
If you’ve tried Sausage Ravioli, or any other recipe on Studio Delicious, please rate the recipe and tell me about it in the comments below!
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Sausage Ravioli
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds Chicken or Turkey Sausage regular or spicy
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Shallot, small, diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 ½ pounds Tomatoes, fresh, cut in 1" chunks
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 packages Cheese ravioli each package approximately 13-16 ounces.
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated plus more for serving
- 16 ounces Mozzarella cheese, torn
- 2 tablespoons Italian Parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoon Olive Oil, drizzle for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Prepare a 9 x 13" oven proof baking dish or similar size, sprayed on the bottom and sides with non-stick cooking spray
- Cooke the sausage In a large non-stick skillet pan, cook the sausage without their casings, if any, until no longer pink, breaking up the sausage into smaller pieces as you go. Remove from pan and set aside.
- MAKE THE CHUNKY TOMATO SAUCE
- In a large non-stick saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat, add the shallot and stir with a wooden spoon frequently until soft and lightly brown around the edges, about 4 minutes.Add the chopped garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and chopped tomatoes, and cook until the tomatoes begin to release their juices and the mixture comes together making a sauce, about 15 minutes. Continue to cook the sauce at a simmer on medium high heat.
- Add the tomato paste and cooked sausage, then continue cooking for another 8-12 minutes. Overall cooking time is about 25 minutes for a chunky, but not watery sauce.
- Cook the ravioli in salted boiling water in a large pot according to the directions on the package.
- Drain the cooked ravioli and set aside in a large bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil on the ravioli so they don't stick together.
- Add the tomato and sausage mixture to a large bowl with the ravioli and the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, plus one tablespoon of the chopped parsley. Gently toss the ingredients together with a large spoon and place in the prepared baking dish.
- Drain the mozzarella on a paper towel if needed to soak up any of the brine. Tear the mozzarella into rough-sized pieces, about 2" each, and place over the top of the ravioli mixture.
- Drizzle a teaspoon or so of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley.
- Place on lower middle rack of the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the ravioli are warmed through, approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Serve with additional grated Parmesan and olive oil, if desired.
Notes
- Drain the fresh mozzarella on a paper towel before adding it to the pasta.
- Tear the mozzarella rather than cutting or grating it onto rough-sized pieces, about 2″ each, to place over the top of the ravioli mixture. Looks luscious and rustic!
- Drizzle a teaspoon or so of olive oil over the top the pasta before baking, and sprinkle with lots chopped fresh parsley. This step makes a big difference in presentation and overall flavor.
- Serve this dish with more Parmesan cheese on the side, if desired.
Nutrition
- Super important to read the whole recipe before you begin
- Pay attention to the ingredient list and photos for the recipe
- If possible, prep your ingredients a little before you start
- Always use a sharp knife for safety
- Use the size of pan called for in the recipe
- For savory recipes, taste and season as you go
- Buy fresh, organic ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible
Source: Studio Delicious, adapted from Everyday Food. This post was updated with new photos and instructions, October 2021.
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