Easy Ravioli Strata Lasagna topped with Crispy Pepperoni {Recipe}

I’ve made baked ravioli many times in the past.  It’s fast and easy.  But I was chatting with my girlfriend on the phone the other day and she told me her sister-in-law had made a lasagna using frozen ravioli.  I hadn’t planned dinner yet and happened to have some frozen ravioli on hand, as well as marinara and shredded mozzarella! I decided to whip up this quick dish for my family that night and it was a big hit! I did end up having to run to the store for another bag of ravioli.  For my family I should have just used an 8x8 pan, in which case I think I could have used just one bag.  But in the 9x13 that I started in I needed two bags to make the three layers I wanted.

It was so quick and easy to put together and I’ll definitely be making it again!…..{Recipe below the break}

The first step was to blend up my jar of pasta sauce to get rid of chunks.  My kids hate chunks and I prefer a smooth sauce myself.  I LOVE the fact that my blender blade will fit on a regular mouth mason jar.  I use that trick all the time to make my protein shakes, blend small amounts of salsa, smooth out pasta sauce, make milkshakes, etc.  It’s so nice not to dirty the blender AND a cup.  You can use any size jar, as long as the mouth is standard.  Try it! It’s such a great tip!

Spray your baking pan with cooking spray and cover the bottom with a very thin layer of sauce.  Layer in your ravioli, then sauce, then shredded mozzarella.  Repeat two times.

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes or until the center is warm.  Remove foil, top with pepperoni, and bake another 10 –15 minutes until center is hot.  Place under broiler to crisp up the pepperoni.

I topped it with a little fresh basil and served it with a quick Caesar salad and garlic bread.  The kids loved it! 

Ravioli Strata Lasagna topped with Crispy Pepperoni

From the kitchen of Emily Nelson

Yield: 1 9x13 pan, 12 servings

Ingredients:

• two 25oz. bags of frozen cheese ravioli
• 1 24 oz. bottle of marinara sauce (I like Classico Four Cheese)
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, fresh or frozen (You can also use an Italian cheese blend or pizza cheese blend)
• 24 thinly sliced pieces of pepperoni
• fresh basil garnish (optional)

Directions:  Spray baking dish with cooking spray.  Blend pasta sauce to remove chunks, if desired.  Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom of baking dish.  Layer in ravioli, followed by a thin layer of sauce, followed by one cup of the cheese.  Repeat two more times.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Remove foil, top with pepperoni and continue to bake until center is hot.  If desired, place under the broiler to crisp the pepperoni.  Top with fresh basil, if desired, and serve.