If you’re a fan of easy meal ideas, this 4-ingredient slow cooker ravioli recipe is a must-try! Sometimes called “lazy lasagna”, this yummy dish is the ultimate comfort food with all the flavors of lasagna with only 10 minutes of prep time. The entire family is going to love this yummy and hearty meal (and you don’t even have to tell them you let the slow cooker do all the work!).
Sometimes you just need an easy dinner win. This super easy 4-ingredient crockpot ravioli lasagna is a great option for when you’ve got a lot going on. It’s one of those recipes that maxes out on flavor and fun while keeping your prep time and stress level to a minimum.
Give this easy dinner recipe a try ASAP… it’s bound to make a regular appearance on your family’s dinner menu (it’s definitely a go-to recipe in our house, along with other slow cooker favorites like this easy Hawaiian Chicken and Crock Pot White Chicken Chili recipe)!
Why You’ll Love This 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?
Ingredients Needed
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.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- 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.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Brown the ground sausage over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain the fat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Reserve 1 cup of pasta sauce, and then mix the rest of the sauce with the cooked sausage and stir until well combined.
Step 3: Add the reserved tomato sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step 4: Then add ⅓ of the ravioli into a single layer over the sauce.
Step 5: Top the layer of ravioli with ⅓ of the meat and sauce mixture.
Step 6: Then add ½ cup of mozzarella cheese.
Step 7: 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.
Step 8: Once the cheese is melted, and the sauce is bubbling, scoop and enjoy!
Possible Dietary Restrictions?
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.
What to Serve with Easy 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Ravioli
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 – especially when you can get them in season in the summertime!
- Garlic bread – make your own, or use a store-bought version.
Storage
Store 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.
Helpful Equipment
You will need a slow cooker to make this “ravioli lasagna” recipe. I use a 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker.
Recipe 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.
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📖 4-ingredient Slow Cooker Ravioli (“Ravioli Lasagna”)
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.
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.