Description
Hearty crockpot ravioli lasagna blends Italian comfort classics into one delightful slow-cooker masterpiece. Creamy cheese layers and rich marinara create a simple, satisfying meal perfect for family dinners you’ll want to savor again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 pound Italian sausage
Main Cheeses:
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetables and Seasonings:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 can (14.5 ounces/414 grams) diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Pasta:
- 1 package (25 ounces/709 grams) frozen cheese ravioli
Seasoning:
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Garnish (Optional):
- Fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Brown Italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat, removing excess grease and transferring to a separate plate.
- Use the same skillet to sauté onions and garlic until they become translucent and fragrant.
- Incorporate marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, and dried herbs into the skillet, allowing the mixture to simmer and meld flavors for approximately 5 minutes.
- Create a thin foundational layer of meat sauce at the bottom of the crockpot to prevent sticking.
- Arrange a single stratum of frozen ravioli directly over the sauce base, ensuring minimal gaps between pasta pieces.
- Generously spread ricotta cheese across the ravioli layer, creating a creamy intermediate section.
- Sprinkle a robust coating of shredded mozzarella cheese to enhance moisture and richness.
- Repeat layering sequence, alternating sauce, ravioli, ricotta, and mozzarella until ingredients are exhausted.
- Culminate the layers with a final generous sprinkling of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for a golden, crispy top.
- Secure crockpot lid and slow cook on low temperature for 4-6 hours until pasta becomes tender and cheese melts completely.
- Optional: Garnish with fresh basil or parsley for added aromatic freshness before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to drain excess fat from the sausage to prevent the dish from becoming greasy and maintain a cleaner flavor profile.
- For a lighter version, substitute ground turkey or chicken for Italian sausage and use part-skim mozzarella cheese.
- Avoid overcooking the ravioli by checking tenderness around the 4-hour mark to prevent mushy texture.
- Add extra herbs like fresh thyme or rosemary to enhance the depth of flavor and create a more complex taste experience.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 474 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg