And, I may have outdone myself on the ravioli front! After a quick blanch in boiling water, the refrigerated (or frozen) ravioli are layered with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. While that's happening, parmesan-spiked meatballs are roasting in the oven (I like to cook the meatballs separately so the fat drips off and doesn't end up in the dish - that would make a greasy casserole!).
A little more cheese on top and the oven does the rest - turning store-bought ravioli into a lasagna-like dish with savory meatballs on top. Bring.It.On.
Ravioli Casserole with Mini Parmesan Meatballs
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounces refrigerated cheese ravioli (I used Buitoni)
2-2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the beef, parmesan cheese, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well and shape the mixture into 16 mini meatballs. Place the meatballs on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook for 2 minutes (the ravioli will finish cooking in the oven, and they'll absorb more sauce if they're partially, not fully, cooked). Drain and spread out on foil while you work.
Pour 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish (I used a 10-inch square pan).
Arrange 1/3 of the ravioli on top of the sauce. Top with 1/2 cup of the sauce and 1/4 cup of the cheese (if your pan is bigger, you might need more than 1/2 cup sauce). Repeat the layers (1/3 ravioli, 1/2 cup sauce, 1/4 cup cheese), two more times.
It will look like this about halfway through the process:
It will look like this:
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