Ravioli Lasagna Mash Up

Ravioli Lasagna Mash Up

This recipe is basically a marriage of two rich and delicious classic Italian dishes; ravioli and lasagna.  How can you go wrong.  I like this dish because it's a bit less work than traditional homemade lasagna.  Another benefit we found is that we find this dish reheats better than lasagna.  There are a number of recipes out there for "Ravioli Lasagna"; I read several and did my own thing.  I decided to use a combination of lean ground turkey and rich Italian sausage.  Since ground turkey is not as flavorful, I added a lot of herbs and spices to the turkey.  I also added a lot of herbs and spices to the creamy ricotta mixture.  This is a flexible recipe. You can leave out the Italian sausage, you can leave out the onion, you can leave out the crushed red pepper flakes.  Of course, feel free to use your favorite jarred tomato sauce.  I would like this with a spinach and cheese ravioli.  You could leave out the ground turkey and Italian sausage and use a meat filled ravioli or leave out the meat all together for a vegetarian dish.  Make it your own and enjoy!

Here is how I made my version of Ravioli Lasagna.

RAVIOLI LASAGNA MASH UP

INGREDIENTS

Meat Sauce:

1 pound lean ground turkey (I use Jennie-O brand)
1/3 to 1/2 pound ground hot Italian sausage (I use Johnsonville brand which is made from pork)
1/2 of a medium sized sweet onion, small dice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
several grinds of black pepper
24 ounce jar marinara (I use Barilla brand "Tomato & Basil)

Ricotta Mixture:

15 ounce tub of part skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of salt
several grinds of black pepper

1 1/2 pounds mini-frozen cheese ravioli (I used Kroger brand); DO NOT THAW
3/4 to 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large skillet, cook and crumble the ground Italian sausage, until no pink remains.  Drain well on paper towels to wick away grease. Set aside.

Carefully clean out the skillet with a paper towel to remove excess grease.  Return the skillet to the stove top and add in the ground turkey, diced onion, and the spices called for in the "Meat Sauce".  Cook and crumble the mixture, stirring and chopping, until no pink remains.  Add in the sauce.  Add about 2 tablespoons of water to the pasta jar, replace the lid, and shake to get the sauce off the inside of the jar.  Add the watery sauce mixture into the meat sauce.  Cook over medium heat for a few minutes to warm through.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the ingredients listed under "Ricotta Mixture". Stir well with a fork to combine.

Next, assemble the dish:  Spoon about 1/3 or less of the Meat Sauce into the bottom of the prepared pan; spread around.  Top with 1/2 of the frozen ravioli in a single layer, 1/2 of the Ricotta Mixture, and 1/3 of the sauce.  Repeat the layers (1/2 the frozen ravioli, 1/2 the Ricotta Mixture, 1/3 the Meat Sauce).  Spread the sauce around to cover the ravioli.  Sprinkle top with grated mozzarella cheese. 

Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven (350 degrees F) for 40 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the foil.  Continue to bake in the oven for 10 additional minutes. 

Enjoy!

Above: Before popping into the oven.
Below:  Most of the ingredients all assembled (onion and parmesan cheese not pictured... whoops!)