Fresh Ravioli Bake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: enough for a family & leftovers!
 
Fresh Ravioli Bake! This lasagna look alike is healthier and full of delicious veggies, lower-fat cheese & flavor! Great weeknight family meal and enough for a crowd. Add meat as desired.
What to get:
  • 2 packages fresh raviolis (I use wheat stuffed herb cheese variety)
  • 2 jars marinara (or crushed tomatoes) (I like Barilla)
  • 2 (8-oz) bags shredded mozzarella cheese, low-moisture (I use part skim)
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese blend
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced
  • 1 small yellow squash, sliced
  • 1 carton fresh mushrooms, sliced (will use little less that container)
  • ½ sweet onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 leaves fresh basil, chopped finely
  • Lemon (for zesting)
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • Salt & pepper (to taste)
  • white wine for sautéing
  • * 1.5 cups fresh spinach, chopped (optional)
  • *package lean ground turkey or beef (optional)
What to do:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 and oil a lasagna pan or 9x13
  2. Slice and chop all veggies/herbs.
  3. In skillet begin veggie mix and sauté onion, garlic & little white wine, until tender.
  4. Add zucchini, squash, mushrooms, seasoning skillet to taste with S&P and 1 tsp Italian seasoning.
  5. Sauté till tender, remove from heat, and discard all excess fluid well.
  6. In separate skillet, brown ground turkey until cooked, draining all remaining fluid.
  7. To meat mix add ~1/4 cup marinara and some S&P to combine.
Prepare to layer ingredients (we will do two rounds of layering for a large 9x13):
  1. Put thin layer of sauce to pan.
  2. Add single layer of fresh raviolis.
  3. Top with cheeses.
  4. Add meat layer (optional) with some of fresh spinach, basil & lemon zest.
  5. Add thin veggie layer, spreading evenly.
  6. Repeat above, and finish with top being a sauce layer (covering and sealing edges).
  7. Sprinkle top with some of the shredded cheeses & bake ~35 minutes (tent top with foil if cheese begins to brown).
  8. Remove from oven & let cool for 15 min, then serve (*Some fluid is normal from cooking veggies, so remove serving leaving any juice in pan).
Notes:
You can use any veggies in the sauté you like. I added ground turkey but this is fantastic without meat. You can make this one a day ahead and it store well in the refrigerator. For a smaller bake, you can do one round of layers which will yield a thinner bake and it will heat faster. I have also doubled this for large gatherings and it works well in two 9x13 pans. If it requires a little extra time in the oven to heat through, that is okay, though you may want to tent the top with foil if cheese starts to brown.
Serving size: about 9
Recipe by the dinnervine at http://www.dinnervine.com/2012/02/ravioli-bake/