This easy crockpot ravioli lasagna brings all the comfort of traditional lasagna to your table with just four simple ingredients and about 10 minutes of hands-on time! Using frozen cheese ravioli as the “noodles” eliminates all the layering and boiling that makes regular lasagna so time-consuming. What makes this recipe special is how the slow cooker transforms these simple ingredients into a bubbling, cheesy meal that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
As someone who’s developed over 50 main dish recipes for this website, including a dozen slow cooker recipes (and counting!), I understand how challenging it can be to get a homemade meal on the table during busy weeknights or after hectic weekends. This crockpot lasagna has become one of my go-to solutions because it requires minimal prep but delivers maximum comfort food satisfaction.
I’ve tested this recipe multiple times to get the ingredient ratios just right so the ravioli cooks evenly and the sauce doesn’t become too watery or thick. The beauty of this dish is that you can prep it quickly, then go about your day while the slow cooker works its magic for 3-4 hours. With our detailed step-by-step photos and simple six step process, this crockpot ravioli lasagna will have you putting the ultimate comfort food on your family’s table without all the stress.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna Recipe
- Crock Pot Ravioli Lasagna Ingredients
- How to Make Crockpot Lazy Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna Recipe Variations
- What to Serve With Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna
- How to Store Lazy Crockpot Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna FAQs
- Love This Recipe? Try One of These Delicious Dinner Recipes Next!
- More Recipes You Will Love
- Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna
Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna Recipe
Quick and Easy Prep. The only real prep work needed for this slow cooker ravioli lasagna recipe is browning your meat. Then you simply layer your ingredients and let the slow cooker work it’s magic.
Only Four Simple Ingredients! Less ingredients = less fuss = less stress for you to make.
Dump and go recipe. Is there anything better than a slow cooker recipe that is low-maintenance?
Crock Pot Ravioli Lasagna Ingredients
- Frozen Ravioli. You’ll need frozen cheese ravioli to make this easy recipe. Your local grocery store will likely have several kinds and brands to choose from in the frozen foods section.
- Your Favorite Spaghetti Sauce. Use your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce or a homemade marinara sauce in this easy crockpot lasagna. This is where you can really play with the flavor of your dish. My favorite sauces to use in this dish is either a simple marinara or a tomato basil pasta sauce.
- Mild, Ground Italian Sausage. With such a short ingredient list, using a meat that brings a lot of flavor adds a lot to this dish. Using mild Italian sausage in this recipe really takes this dish to the next level.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese. You can’t have a lasagna without mozzarella, right?!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Helpful Equipment
You will need a slow cooker to make this “ravioli lasagna” recipe. I use a 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker.
How to Make Crockpot Lazy Lasagna
Brown the ground sausage over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain the fat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Reserve 1 cup of pasta sauce, and then mix the rest of the sauce with the cooked sausage and stir until well combined.
Add the reserved tomato sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Then add ⅓ of the ravioli into a single layer over the sauce.
Top the layer of ravioli with ⅓ of the meat and sauce mixture.
Then add ½ cup of mozzarella cheese.
Repeat with the remaining ravioli, sauce and meat mixture to create 3 layers. The top layer will have a little more cheese (1 cup). Cover and cook on the low setting for 3-4 hours.
Once the cheese is melted, and the sauce is bubbling, scoop and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna Recipe Variations
- Use a different meat. While this recipe calls for Italian sausage, you can easily mix things up by using ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground beef. If you like a bit of a kick, you can also use a hot Italian sausage. Just be sure to brown the meat on the stove prior to make the meat sauce as outlined in the recipe card. If you’re using a leaner meat (like turkey or chicken), you may want to use cooking spray or a little olive oil when browning to help prevent it from sticking to your pan.
- Add some veggies. You can sauté sliced mushrooms, zucchini, and/or diced red bell peppers along with your meat if desired.
- Use a frozen ravioli with meat in it to save even more time! Don’t want to bother with browning the meat? Use a frozen beef ravioli instead! Simply layer with pasta sauce and cheese for an even easier meal.
- Use a mix of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Parmesan is another staple in Italian recipes, so why not mix things up swapping out about 1 cup of your mozzarella for parmesan?
- Top with Italian seasoning. I personally love adding a generous sprinkle of Italian seasoning on top of my lasagnas when I make them. This adds color and flavor to the dish, and is a great idea for your lazy crock pot lasagna too!
- Garnish with fresh herbs when serving. A sprinkle of fresh parsley or fresh basil are both lovely compliments to this delicious meal.
What to Serve With Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna
Make it a complete meal by serving your ravioli with a side dish (or two!). I personally love serving this with:
- Side salads. A green salad is easy to customize to your tastes, and a great way to add veggies to your meal!
- Green beans. They’re especially great when you can get them in season in the summertime, but a simple frozen steamer pack will work too.
- Garlic bread. Make your own, or use a store-bought version.
How to Store Lazy Crockpot Lasagna
Store fully cooled leftover slow cooker ravioli in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until the ravioli has reached your desired temperature.
Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna FAQs
You want to start with a layer of sauce at the bottom of your lasagna, or ravioli “lazy lasagna”, to ensure your bottom layer is moist and doesn’t stick to the pan.
If you use enough sauce at the bottom of your pan (or the bottom of your crockpot for ravioli “lazy lasagna”), you do not need to use a spray before layering your lasagna ingredients.
No, you do not need to thaw the frozen ravioli before using it in this frozen ravioli lasagna recipe in the crockpot!
You can easily alter this recipe to be vegetarian by simply omitting the meat!
You could also make this into a gluten-free slow cooker meal by using a gluten free ravioli! This specialty ravioli is becoming more readily available (I’ve seen it available at Target, Walmart, and my local grocery store). Please note, I have not used gluten free ravioli myself, but believe it would work well for this recipe.
Yes, you can use fresh ravioli instead of frozen if desired BUT fresh ravioli will cook faster than frozen, so you’ll want to reduce the cooking time to about 1.5-2.5 hours on LOW. Since it will cook faster, be sure to keep an eye on it to ensure the ravioli doesn’t overcook and become mushy. I would recommend checking it at the 1.5- hour mark to be safe. Fresh ravioli is typically found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store near the fresh pasta.
Absolutely! To make this into a baked ravioli lasagna, layer all the ingredients the same way in a 9×13 inch baking dish instead of the slow cooker. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden on top. This method is great when you want the same delicious results but need dinner ready faster than the slow cooker allows.
Love This Recipe? Try One of These Delicious Dinner Recipes Next!
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Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- 45 oz pasta sauce of choice (we use 2, 23.5oz jars of marinara sauce)
- 32 oz frozen cheese ravioli (we use 2, 16oz bags)
- 2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Brown the Italian sausage over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain the fat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta sauce, and then mix the rest of the pasta sauce with the cooked Italian sausage and stir until well combined.
- Add the reserved tomato sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker, spreading it out into an even layer that covers the bottom of the basin.
- Then add ⅓ of the frozen ravioli, ⅓ of the ground beef mixture, and ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat 2x to create 3 layers total. The final layer of cheese on the very top will have a little more than the previous layers (1 cup total).
- Cover and cook on the low setting for 3-4 hours.
Notes
- Use a different meat. Instead of the Italian sausage, you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground beef. Just be sure to brown the meat on the stove prior to make the meat sauce as outlined in the recipe card. If you’re using a leaner meat (like turkey or chicken), you may want to use cooking spray or a little olive oil when browning to help prevent it from sticking to your pan.
- Add some veggies. You can sauté sliced mushrooms, zucchini, and/or diced red bell peppers along with your meat if desired.
- Use a frozen ravioli with meat in it to save even more time! Don’t want to bother with browning the meat? Use a frozen beef ravioli instead! Simply layer with pasta sauce and cheese for an even easier meal.
- Use a mix of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Parmesan is another staple in Italian recipes, so why not mix things up swapping out about 1 cup of your mozzarella for parmesan?
- Top with Italian seasoning. This adds color and flavor to the dish.
- Garnish with fresh herbs when serving. A sprinkle of fresh parsley or fresh basil are both lovely compliments to this delicious meal.
Mary says
Comment from Pinterest “Made this the other night!! It was really good!!”
Meredith says
I’m so happy to hear this worked well for you Mary, thanks for giving our recipe a try!
Mary Linder says
So you put the ravioli in frozen?
Meredith says
Yes, correct! Put the ravioli in straight from the freezer.
Debi Williams says
I was wondering if it would hurt to cook it a little longer? Like for 6 hours instead of 4. I’ll be away from the house most of the day and wanted to have this ready for my grandson.
Meredith says
Hi Debi, does your slow cooker have a “keep warm” setting that it will turn to after your cooking duration? That would be my recommendation if you have that option!
Otherwise, I haven’t tried cooking it for 6 hours but it’s definitely worthy trying! Let me know how it goes.
Debi Williams says
Thank you, Meredith. My crockpot does have a keep warm setting. I’ll try that. I’m looking forward to making this for my grandson tomorrow. He loves ravioli
Meredith says
Wonderful, I can’t wait to hear what he thinks, enjoy!
M says
Our family LOVES this recipe! Thanks!
Elizabeth says
This ravioli was amazing, the flavors worked super well together and I loved the sausage! A perfect meal for a chilly day out. 🙂
Meredith says
I’m so happy to hear you loved all the flavors in this ravioli recipe Elizabeth!! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try.
Ana✨ says
Dani made the recipe! It was so good and an amazing recipe! We all enjoyed the Ravioli lasagna! 😗🤌
Meredith says
I’m so happy to hear you all loved the ravioli lasagna Ana! Thanks for giving the recipe a try 🙂
Brooke says
Was so good!
Meredith says
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe Brooke, thanks for giving it a try!
Evan G says
Great dish, would make this again!
Meredith says
So happy to hear you loved this ravioli Evan!
Mason Fauth says
Delicious
Meredith says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it Mason! Thanks for giving the recipe a try.
Jonathan says
Really tasty, and good for feeding a big family on the weekend! Throw it in the crockpot, take the kids to the pool, and dinner’s ready when you get back 🙂
Meredith says
so happy to hear that this easy crockpot ravioli worked well for your family Jonathan! thanks for giving the recipe a try.
Adelle says
I tried this recipe when staying in a cabin up north for an easy meal, and it was sooo good! I love enjoying pasta without having to stand over the stove in summer heat. I’m super excited to try it with meat-stuffed pasta next time. Such an easy recipe that tastes complicated and like you spent hours making it!
Meredith says
I’m so happy this recipe saved you from the heat of the stove! Thanks so much for giving it a try, and can’t wait to hear how the next round goes too.
Holly Coppedge says
I make a version of this in the over. I can’t wait to try it like this.
Meredith says
So glad to hear you’re excited Holly! Can’t wait to hear how it goes in your crockpot 🙂
Kurt says
Love this one. So quick and easy, and the Italian sausage makes it!
Meredith says
So happy to hear you enjoyed this easy ravioli too Kurt! Thanks for giving the recipe a try.