This Ravioli Lasagna with Italian Sausage and Ricotta Cheese transforms fresh ravioli, a simple homemade sauce, and plenty of cheese into an easy, make-ahead bake your whole family will love. It’s rich, saucy, and bubbling with flavour, but uses smart shortcuts so you’re not spending hours in the kitchen.
You’ll start by building a deeply savoury meat sauce. Italian sausage gets browned in canola oil, then garlic and grated carrots are cooked right in the same pan to add sweetness and body. A splash of red or white wine deglazes the skillet, pulling up all those browned bits, before tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, sugar, dry mustard, Italian seasoning, onion and garlic powders, salt, and pepper simmer together into a thick, flavourful sauce.
Instead of layering noodles, you’ll use fresh cheese or meat ravioli as your “pasta sheets.” A little sauce goes in the bottom of the casserole dish, then all the ravioli, dollops of creamy ricotta, browned sausage, and more sauce. Frozen chopped kale is an optional layer that sneaks in extra greens without extra work. Repeat the layers, cover, and bake until everything is hot and tender, then uncover and blanket the top with shredded mozzarella. A final bake turns the cheese golden and bubbly, and a short rest lets the lasagna settle into perfect, sliceable layers.
This casserole is ideal for busy weeks. Assemble it in advance and bake later, or bake once and enjoy leftovers for easy lunches. Pair it with a simple salad and garlic bread for a cozy family dinner that feels like a special occasion with all the “lazy lasagna” ease of just layering, baking, and serving.
Recipe courtesy of SaskMustard
Ravioli Lasagna with Italian Sausage and Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 lb spicy or mild Italian sausage
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 medium carrots grated
- 1/2 cup dry red or white wine
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 16 oz fresh cheese or meat ravioli
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups frozen chopped kale optional
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the canola oil. Remove the sausage from its casings and add to the hot skillet. Cook the meat until it’s browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan and to a clean plate.
- Stir the garlic and carrots into the skillet and cook for a few minutes until softened. Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer and reduce the wine by half. Whisk in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, water, sugar, mustard powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spoon a bit of the sauce into the bottom of a 10-inch casserole dish. Top with all of the ravioli. Spoon half of the ricotta over the ravioli. Sprinkle half of the sausage on top. Spread half of the remaining sauce on top of the sausage. Top with the frozen kale, if using. Repeat with remaining ricotta, sausage, and sauce.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly, another 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pasta rest 10 minutes before serving
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