This Slow Cooker Lasagna with Ravioli is an easy alternative to traditional lasagna that only takes only a few minutes to throw together. It makes dinnertime a breeze and will have your family asking for seconds.
Whether you make it with your favorite jarred marinara or make homemade marinara, this pasta recipe will be a hit with everyone. You can serve it with a simple side salad, and these Garlic breadsticks, or cheesy breadsticks too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super Easy! Just Layer and cook-no boiling noodles or complicated steps required!
- Family Friendly. Cheesy, saucy, and seriously tasty-picky eaters love it.
- Make Ahead. Perfect for busy nights, meal prepping or sharing with friends.
Slow Cooker Lasagna With Ravioli
Do you love lasagna but feel like you never have the time to put it together? That’s where this crockpot lasagna comes in. It’s got a delicious and hearty meat sauce layered with frozen cheese ravioli and topped with ooey, gooey cheese—aka lazy lasagna!
This recipe is all about the layers. To begin, you need to prep for each layer and then the assembly will come together in just a few minutes.
Easy Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna Video Tutorial
Key Ingredients
- Ravioli– Use frozen cheese ravioli works best.
- Cheese– Shredded Mozzarella or a pizza blend works great. We also add a little shredded Parmesan Cheese.
- Ricotta Cheese Layer– You can use a combination of ricotta and small curd cottage cheese or just ricotta. Both or a mixture are a great option.
- Meat- You can use all ground beef or all spicy Italian Sausage. I prefer to use half and half (this makes the best mix for spaghetti night too. Just cook all the meat up and freeze the rest for other meals.)
- Marinara Sauce– You can make your own Marinara Sauce or just use your favorite jarred variety.
How to Make Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Make the meat sauce. Cook the onions until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another few minutes. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink, adding a little water if necessary. Combine with the marinara sauce and stir.
- Make the cheese mixture. In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, parsley, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble. Spray the crockpot with nonstick spray, then add a thick layer of sauce to the bottom. Top with a layer of frozen ravioli, then a third of the cheese mixture. Repeat with the sauce, raviolis, and cheese two more times, or until you use up all of the filling ingredients. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Cook. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until bubbly and brown on the edges.
Recipe Variations
- Lighter Option: Swap in ground turkey and low-fat cheese, or use part-skim ricotta as a filling layer.
- Alfredo Twist: Substitute half the marinara sauce with alfredo sauce for a creamy lasagna.
- Vegetarian: Use spinach or cheese ravioli and add sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, or spinach between layers.
Recipe Tips
- Use frozen or fresh ravioli—don’t use dried ravioli! It will turn out gummy.
- Do not thaw frozen ravioli. Not only is it easier to keep it frozen, it will be very difficult to handle without it falling apart if you thaw it first.
- Meat sauce adds flavor and makes it hearty- use ground beef, ground sausage, or ground turkey.
- Top the ayers with plenty of cheese (mozarella, provolone, or italian blend) for a gooey finish.
- Let it sit for 10-15 minutes after cooking to set up before slicing.
- You will know it is finished baking when the lasagna is bubbly and golden brown on the edges.
- For easy clean up, spray the inside of the crockpot before adding ingredients.
- For extra flavor, sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frozen ravioli works great. No need to thaw—just add them in frozen. If you want to use fresh ravioli, the cooking time will be closer to 3 hours than 4. I do not recommend using dried ravioli because in my experience, it ends up having a gummy or chalky flavor.
Assemble your lasagna, cover, and bake on high in the crockpot for about 3-4 hours. If you are using fresh ravioli, it will be closer to 3 hours.
When you make a meal like a crockpot lasagna, sometimes the cleanup is rough. First of all, spray your crockpot with non-stick spray before adding any ingredients. After removing the majority of the baked-on food from your crockpot, add a dryer sheet, a squirt of liquid dishwashing liquid, and hot water. Let the crockpot sit for a couple hours and you can use the dryer sheet to wipe off the crust food. It is almost like magic!
Storing and Reheating
- Make-ahead tips: Assemble your lasagna ahead of time covering storing it in the fridge until needed.
- Storing leftovers: Remove the lasagna from the crockpot and store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: You can pop the leftovers into the microwave for about 1 minute, stir and then heat again for 30-second increments until the noodles and sauce are evenly heated.
More Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
Easy Slow Cooker Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
- 1/2 pound ground beef, 85/15%
- 48 ounces marinara sauce
Cheese Mixture
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1/2 + 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Pasta
- 2 pounds ravioli, frozen or fresh
Instructions
- Spray the inside of the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a skillet on medium heat, add the tablespoon of olive oil and the onion. Stir and cook on medium heat until the onion is golden brown. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for about 2 minutes or until the garlic is translucent. Add the sausage and the beef and cook until it's no longer pink, then add the marinara sauce and stir until combined.
Cheese Mixture
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined.
Assembling
- Add about a cup of meat sauce to the bottom of the crockpot, followed by a layer of ravioli. Touch the edges of the ravioli together but don't stack on top of each other. Add about 1/3 of the cheese mixture and about 1/3 of the sauce. Continue layering the meat sauce, ravioli, and cheese mixture until you have used up everything.
- After you assemble the crockpot lasagna, add the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake on high in the crockpot for about 4 (3 hours if you're using fresh ravioli), or until golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this?
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This easy crockpot lasagna with ravioli is such an easy lasagna recipe. It’s made right in the crockpot. It takes only a few minutes to throw together and is ready when you are. This crockpot ravioli lasagna makes dinnertime such a breeze!
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How long do you cook this on low?
It depends a little on your slow cooker. I have a couple different slow cookers and one cooks much hotter than the other. a few hours on low should do the trick!
This is pure comfort food and I loved how easy it was to make!
Yes, so easy to make… and the leftovers are amazing too!
This is the best recipe! Quick, easy, and a huge family favorite! Delish!
So glad you are enjoying this.