Cheesy Beef Ravioli

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Cheesy Beef Ravioli — 🧀🍝😍 EASY, ready in 30 minutes, and it’s pure cheesy COMFORT FOOD in every bite! Makes a big batch and it’s perfect for meal prep and planned freezer meals! A guaranteed family FAVORITE you’ll want on repeat!

A pot of cheesy beef ravioli bake.

Quick & Easy Ravioli Dinner 

This meat ravioli recipe is comfort food at its finest and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s a perfect meal for busy weeknights, especially when it’s chilly out.

Nothing will warm you up better than pasta smothered in cheese and loaded with seasoned ground beef! 

The recipe makes a big hearty batch, which is perfect for leftovers the next day or as planned freezer meals. Cook once, eat twice, always is nice.

The nice thing about ravioli is that it cooks very quickly, usually in 5 minutes or less. Other than boiling the ravioli in a separate pot, everything else is made in one pot, which is so nice when it comes to doing dishes later.

A spoon lifting a scoop of cheesy beef ravioli bake.

What’s in the Cheesy Beef Ravioli?

This easy beef ravioli recipe includes:

  • Ricotta cheese ravioli – Feel free to substitute any ravioli you like best such as meat-filled ravioli. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, try your hand at making homemade ravioli with pasta dough and a ravioli mold. There are plenty of recipes online for homemade ravioli
  • Ground beef
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Italian seasoning
  • Crushed tomatoes 
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Basil

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

A pot of Cheesy Beef Ravioli bake.

How to Make Savory Beef Ravioli with Meat Sauce

Ready to eat in less than 30 minutes, this pasta bake is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Here’s an overview of the cooking process:

  1. Boil the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. To a large, deep-sided, ovenproof skillet, add the onion and ground beef, and brown them before seasoning with garlic and Italian seasoning.
  3. Add a big can of crushed tomatoes along with the cooked ravioli, and stir everything together.
  4. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan before broiling for a few minutes. The mozzarella gets gooey and melty while the Parmesan gets lightly crisped under the broiler. The recipe is good on its own, but with two kinds of cheese, it’s irresistible. 
  5. Add a sprinkling of fresh basil before serving for a lovely pop of fresh flavor. Enjoy!
Cheesy Beef Ravioli Pinterest image.

What to Serve with Cheese Ravioli with Meat Sauce

Cheesy Beef Ravioli Pinterest image.

Recipe FAQs

How long do leftovers last?

Leftovers will keep fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze this beef ravioli recipe?

Yes! This makes for a great freezer-friendly dish. Once cool, transfer the pasta bake to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 4 months.

Can I use frozen ravioli?

If you want to use frozen ravioli be sure to thaw and drain it first. Otherwise, your pasta bake is likely to be too watery and the ravioli will become soggy, which we definitely don’t want!

Can I substitute the ground beef?

I haven’t tested this recipe with any other protein, but I don’t see why not. Italian sausage with the casings removed, ground pork, or ground turkey would make great substitutes. Just keep in mind that ground turkey is much leaner than beef. So, you may want to add a bit of extra virgin olive oil while cooking.

Cheesy Beef Ravioli Pinterest image.

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4.50 from 28 votes

Cheesy Beef Ravioli

By Averie Sunshine
🧀🍝😍 EASY, ready in 30 minutes, and it’s pure cheesy COMFORT FOOD in every bite! Makes a big batch and it’s perfect for meal prep and planned freezer meals! A guaranteed family FAVORITE you’ll want on repeat!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
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Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot
  • 1 Large, High-Sided, Oven-Proof Skillet

Ingredients 

  • 20 ounces fresh refrigerated ravioli, I used 4-cheese; use your favorite
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
  • 1 pound lean ground beef, I used 80%
  • 3 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced or pressed
  • 1 heaping tablespoon Italian seasoning, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • cup Parmesan cheese
  • fresh basil, optional for garnishing

Instructions 

  • To a large pot, cook ravioli according to package directions; drain and set aside.
  • Preheat broiler to high.
  • To a large, high-sided, ovenproof skillet, add the olive oil, onion, and saute over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, or just until onion begins to soften.
  • Add the ground beef, crush and crumble with a spatula as it cooks, and stir beef and onions frequently as they cook to ensure even cooking.
  • After beef has completely cooked, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, add the cooked ravioli, and stir to combine.
  • Evenly sprinkle with the mozzarella, then the Parmesan, and place skillet under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is as browned as desired, making sure to check very frequently for doneness. Because all broilers vary dramatically in their intensity, start checking after 3 minutes and do not leave your food unattended because you don’t want it to burn; noting that it could possibly take longer than 5 minutes, just keep an eye on it. Remove the skillet from under the broiler when the cheese is as melted and golden as desired.
  • Optionally garnish with basil and serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 413kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 910mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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One Pot Italian Sausage and Tomato Basil Pasta – An EASY comfort food recipe that’s loaded with Italian flavors, ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE pot, and a family favorite! No need to boil the pasta separately to save time and dishes!

One Pot Italian Sausage and Tomato Basil Pasta in a pot.

Cheesy Beef and Pasta Casserole – Hearty comfort food that’s EASY and IRRESISTIBLE! Cheesy pasta and beef coated in marinara sauce and topped with more CHEESE! Makes planned leftovers and is freezer-friendly!

Cheesy Beef and Pasta Casserole with a spoon on top.

Pizza Pasta Casserole – EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and for times when you want BOTH pizza AND pasta! Ground beef, pepperoni, and oodles of cheese make this casserole pure COMFORT FOOD! Feeds a crowd!

Pizza Pasta Casserole with a scoop missing.

30-Minute One-Pot Beef and Bowtie Soup – EASY, hearty, comfort food that’s full of flavor! A FAST and tasty soup the whole family will LOVE! It will keep your warm on chilly winter nights!

30-Minute One-Pot Beef and Bowtie Soup in a pot.

Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Chicken – A healthier twist on chicken parmesan because there’s NO breaded chicken! Easy, ready in 20 minutes, and loaded with FLAVOR! A guaranteed hit that’ll be in your regular dinner rotation!

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Three Cheese Baked Ziti in an oval baking dish.

Extra Cheesy Tortellini Bake – Three-cheese tortellini baked with pasta sauce AND 3 more cheeses! Cheese lovers will adore this easy comfort food that’s ready in 30 minutes!

Extra Cheesy Tortellini Bake.

Easy 30-Minute One-Skillet Lasagna – Everything cooks in one skillet and you don’t even need to boil the noodles separately! Full of classic lasagna flavor but so much faster and easier! Now you can make lasagna on busy weeknights!

A pan of baked pasta with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.
4.50 from 28 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Soooooo good! I had diced tomatoes and a bit of tomato paste in place of crushed, otherwise exactly as written. ยกGracias, Averie!

  2. 5 stars
    Soooooo good! I had diced tomatoes and a bit of tomato paste in place of crushed, otherwise exactly as written. ยกGracias, Averie!

  3. Hi – I made this last night and put it into a 13×9 to keep in the fridge until dinner tonight. But, my question is, what is the best way to reheat it? Thanks!

    1. I would say let it come up to room temp for at least an hour and then put it in a low oven, like 200F, until it’s reheated to your liking.

      Or put a piece on everyone’s plate (needs to be microwave-safe), cover the plates individually with plasticwrap, and microwave individually for 1 minute or so.

  4. 5 stars
    While looking through my emails this morning, I was also contemplating what to make for supper when I saw your email for the cheesy beef ravioli. I made this and WOW was it delicious!! I will confess I used spaghetti sauce instead of the crushed tomatoes . This will definitely be added to my regular dinner rotations

  5. 5 stars
    While looking through my emails this morning, I was also contemplating what to make for supper when I saw your email for the cheesy beef ravioli. I made this and WOW was it delicious!! I will confess I used spaghetti sauce instead of the crushed tomatoes . This will definitely be added to my regular dinner rotations

    1. I am so glad you loved this and that it’ll be added to your regular dinner rotations! And thank you for making it so soon after I posted it! Nothing wrong with a little spaghetti sauce either :)

  6. This looks perfect. I’m getting tired of “Christmas food” and would love a homey meal of ravioli. Maybe later this week!

    1. I am so glad you said that. I strategized forever want to post today because itโ€™s one of the highest traffic days on my website all year. And I wondered if it was a mistake having non-Christmas food. But you know what by the 23rd, everyone has already seen all the Christmas food that they plan to make this season, that was my theory at least!

      Itโ€™s the perfect home email that I know you will enjoy. Wintertime comfort food.