Meatball and ravioli casserole is a comforting, hearty dish that brings together two beloved Italian favorites: meatballs and ravioli. This casserole is packed with flavor and texture, making it an ideal choice for a cozy family dinner or a meal that will impress your guests. The combination of savory meatballs, cheesy ravioli, and rich marinara sauce creates a satisfying, easy-to-make meal that’s perfect for any occasion.
To prepare this casserole, start by baking or pan-frying homemade or store-bought meatballs. The meatballs are typically made from ground beef or a blend of beef and pork, seasoned with garlic, herbs, and Parmesan cheese to create that savory flavor. While the meatballs cook, prepare the ravioli. You can use any type of ravioli you like, but cheese ravioli or spinach ravioli works particularly well, as it complements the meatballs and marinara sauce perfectly.
Once the meatballs and ravioli are ready, layer them in a baking dish, alternating between the ravioli and meatballs. Pour marinara sauce over the top, ensuring everything is evenly coated. Then, sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the casserole, covering it in a cheesy, gooey layer.
Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the top has turned golden brown. The ravioli absorbs the rich marinara sauce, becoming soft and tender, while the meatballs add a meaty bite that complements the cheesy pasta perfectly.
This dish is easily customizable by adding extras like sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, or olives to the layers. For a little extra richness, you can also drizzle some heavy cream or ricotta cheese between the layers for a creamy twist.
Serve the casserole with a simple green salad or garlic bread to round out the meal. Whether you’re cooking for a busy weeknight or a weekend gathering, meatball and ravioli casserole is an easy, delicious way to bring everyone together around the table.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef for meatballs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs Italian style
- 1 egg large
- 25 ounces frozen cheese ravioli thawed
- 24 ounces marinara sauce store-bought or homemade
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until well blended and form into small meatballs.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meatballs on all sides until fully cooked, then remove from skillet.
- In a baking dish, layer the ravioli and cooked meatballs. Pour marinara sauce over the top, ensuring everything is covered with sauce.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese over the top.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Let it cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
I don’t know, it was kinda bland. Might need more spices or something. Not bad tho.
I totally get what you mean! I added a bit of red pepper flakes and it made a big difference. Give it a shot next time!
I thought ravioli were supposed to be boiled first? Just throwing them in raw seems weird.
This casserole is so easy to make! My kids loved it! Will make again for sure.
Just made this and I can’t believe how yummy it is! I added some veggies and it turned out great!
Made it last night but forgot the parmesan cheese 🤦♀️. Still turned out good tho. Just not cheezy enough.
Is frozen ravioli good? I thought it was all gonna just clump together or something. But it was fine!
I was surprised too! Frozen ravioli can be super yummy if you cook it right. My family loves it!
So simple but sooo good! Perfect for busy nights. I added some veggies though.
I accidentally added 2 cups of salt, oops! Still ate it though. 🤦♂️
Mmm, cheesy goodness! I added some mushrooms and bell peppers to mine. So good! 😋
Sounds delicious! I love that you added mushrooms and bell peppers! Gotta try that next time!
I didn’t have parmesan so I used pecorino instead (same vibe right?). It came out a little saltier than expected, but honestly still delicious. Would recommend adjusting salt/pepper since cheese varies.
Why frozen ravioli? Fresh is way better, plus it takes longer to cook!
But frozen’s just so convenient! Can’t always make fresh. Plus, who has the time?
This casserole is delicious! My family loved it, especially the cheese on top.
I totally agree! The cheese makes everything better. Can’t wait to try this myself!
Looks good but how do you know it’s really delicious? Just because your family liked it doesn’t mean everyone will!
I thought it was just ok. The meatballs didn’t hold together well for me. Might try another recipe next time.
I followed it exactly and it turned out… okay? Maybe my marinara was too sweet. The cheese got bubbly but the meatballs were a bit dense for me.
Best casserole ever! So gooey and cheesy, perfect for winter nights!
Honestly, it didn’t turn out as I expected. The meatballs were kinda dry. Maybe I didn’t cook them right? 🤷♂️
Way better than I expected. I used a jar of marinara and it still tasted homemade. The garlic powder + onion powder gives a nice background flavor.
Totally agree—those garlic + onion powders really do the heavy lifting. I’ve used jar sauce too and it doesn’t taste “cheater” at all.
Meatballs are for italian not beef! Should use turkey or chicken meat! 🙄
idk about this, sounds a bit too heavy… also ravioli? should be spaghetti.
Way too much cheese for my taste! It was dripping everywhere. yuck. Not making again.
Couldn’t get the meatballs to “small” enough because my hands are messy 😅 but they cooked through fine. I’d like a bit more guidance on size/weight.
Hey—messy hands are real 😄 I usually aim for meatballs about 1 1/2 inches wide (roughly the size of a large grape), which comes out to ~1 to 1.5 tablespoons of mixture each. If you want a weight: about 25–35g per meatball tends to work well.
375 for 30 minutes total seems a little low? Like the ravioli is already cooked, but the meatballs—are they fully cooked through at that point? Maybe I’m overthinking.
I had the same thought at first, but since the meatballs are browned (and presumably cooked through in the skillet) they’re basically just finishing in the oven with the sauce. 30 min total for cheese + ravioli works out.
375 for 20 mins? seems too low. if your oven runs cool the meat could be under. i would do 25-30 uncovered total and make sure the center meatballs are like 160F.
I’m skeptical about only baking 30 minutes—like, will the ravioli really heat through? In my case it did, but I had to extend by 5 minutes because my oven runs cool.
I was worried too, but mine heated through fine at 375°F. Only thing I changed: I made sure the ravioli were thawed and that the sauce covered everything completely.
30 min total? Kinda fast lol. If your oven runs cool, yeah I can see needing extra time. I’d check the center—if the ravioli isn’t hot all the way, add like 5-10 min.
Tried this with homemade sauce, not store-bought, but it turned out great! Yum!
I don’t know if I did it right… it was too salty for me.
The meatballs were too dry for my taste. Maybe less breadcrumbs next time? Not bad overall.
One thing though—25 oz ravioli thawed, ok… but who has time to thaw? I used frozen right in the dish and it turned out okay, just took longer to get bubbly cheese.
Not gonna lie, I’m skeptical about breadcrumbs in meatballs with ground beef—sounds bland. But the garlic/onion powders saved it.
I get what you mean—breadcrumbs can sound weird, but once you mix them with the egg and seasonings they actually help hold the meatballs together. Garlic/onion powder definitely makes a big difference. Next time I might add a pinch of Italian seasoning too, but this feels pretty solid.
It tasted fine, but my meatballs were a bit dry. I think I packed the breadcrumb mix too tightly and they didn’t stay juicy. Still, the casserole part saved it.
I made something similar once and it was super filling. One tweak: I’d add Italian seasoning too—just to make it pop. Otherwise, solid.