Preparing lasagna for dinner can be a tedious job with an assembly line of layering pasta sheets, ricotta cheese, and meat sauce, not to mention the time it takes. Opt for this easier and quicker recipe of Ravioli Lasagna by Giada De Laurentiis. While most Lasagna recipes call for separately layering the pasta sheets and ricotta cheese, this one comes with a simple shortcut by just swapping them up with cheese ravioli. Containing both pasta and cheese, layering your lasagna with cheese ravioli combines two layering steps in one and thus cuts the cooking time in almost half!
Ingredients (10 Servings):
● Thawed frozen cheese ravioli, 2 pounds/24-24 pieces
● Spicy or mild Italian sausage with casing removed, 1 pound
● Marinara sauce, 4½ cups
● Shredded mozzarella cheese, 2½ cups
● Freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1 cup
● Olive oil, 2 tablespoons, divided
Method:
● Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and brush a 13×9 inch baking pan with one teaspoon of olive oil.
● Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and add the sausage. Cook the sausages by breaking them into bite-sized pieces using the back of a wooden spatula. Keep cooking for about 8 minutes or until the sausage starts to brown.
● Next, add the marinara sauce and stir well. Let it simmer for a while. Then remove the skillet from the heat and cool slightly.
● Spoon one-third of the sauce-sausage mixture over the bottom of the greased pan. Place a layer of cheese ravioli on top of that. Now pour half of the remaining mixture and sprinkle it with some of the parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
● Repeat the process with another layer of ravioli, topped with the remaining sauce-sausage mixture and cheese.
● Lastly, bake the assembled lasagna uncovered for 25 minutes. The edges should be bubbling by then. Switch the oven to the broil setting and broil the dish on high heat for 3-4 minutes. The cheese should turn golden brown. Allow your lasagna to sit for 10 minutes before digging in.