Transform Frozen Ravioli Into A Quick And Easy Lasagna Bake

It's always worth it to spend an afternoon making classic lasagna. It feeds a crowd, lasts a shockingly long time in the freezer, and is stick-to-your-ribs comforting. That's precisely why it's such a popular dish to make for potlucks or leave on the doorsteps of the grieving.

While lasagna isn't the most complicated dish in the world to master, it does take time to layer all the components properly so as not to tear the broad, thin sheets of noodles that make up the recipe's foundation. If you don't have all day but still want to turn out a comforting lasagna bake, look to frozen ravioli. The popular shortcut, affectionately known as "Lazy Girl Lasagna," or simply Lazy Lasagna, will still feature all your favorite things about lasagna — tomato sauce, cheese(s), pasta, and ground beef if you want it — but will come together in about half the time. As a bonus, the ravioli filling will give the dish added flavor. 

Here's how to try it at home. It's so easy you might find yourself going totally off-book. 

You don't even have to put on a pot of boiling water to make lasagna with frozen ravioli, nor do you have to make your own tomato sauce or bust out the tin foil. For a bare-bones version, you only need three main ingredients: frozen ravioli, your favorite store-bought pasta sauce, and your favorite melty cheese. Ricotta would be a welcome addition, but you might find that the small amount likely stuffed inside your frozen ravioli is enough. That's the thing about lazy ravioli — you make all the rules. 

Start by spreading an even layer of pasta sauce in a casserole dish, followed by a layer of frozen ravioli. Keep going with a layer of cooked ground beef if you wish, or keep it vegetarian by skipping the meat and adding a layer of cheese; you can also add basil (fresh and chopped preferred, though the dried stuff is fine). Keep layering until you finish placing the ravioli, and top things off with a final layer of sauce and cheese. Bake it in a 400 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 45 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned and the cheese is bubbly.  

Although there are technically no rules to making lazy lasagna, the one guideline you might want to follow is to choose ingredients that complement your pasta filling. Plus, this is where you can get creative. For instance, if you're working with spinach ravioli, you might try adding a layer of fresh spinach to your casserole dish. Likewise, if your ravioli is filled with three types of cheese, you could up the ante with extra layers of the same types of fromage. 

For a seasonal swap come autumn, you could even use butternut squash or pumpkin ravioli between layers of canned squash puree in place of pasta sauce. Garnish the top with some sage fried in brown butter, and you have yourself a slightly sweet, decadent pasta bake. In short, the frozen ravioli aisle is your blank canvas — whether you decide to stick to the flavors of a classic lasagna or not.