Ravioli Lasagna (slow cooker or oven, and vegetarian option)

This is a nice twist on lasagna that makes it more hearty and appealing, as if lasagna isn't already hearty and appealing enough :).  I can't recall where I saw a recipe for ravioli lasagna, but for me, it didn't require a recipe since lasagna is easy to put together and you can virtually add whatever you want to it.  Cooking is like an art, get creative with it.

This recipe may be cooked in the oven or slow cooker, maybe even an electric pressure cooker (such as Instapot), but I haven't tried that yet.  You'll likely only get 2 layers in an oven pan, possibly 3 with a slow cooker.  But this is okay, no one will care how many layers it is after they taste it.

RAVIOLI LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS

1 large bag of refrigerated or frozen ravioli, any filling (I used Italian sausage ravioli from Costco)

1 lb shredded mozzarella

16 oz ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1 T parsley flakes (optional)

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)

1/2 lb ground Italian sausage (pork or turkey) (optional)

1 32oz jar spaghetti sauce (or use my sauce recipe on this blog)

salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In large pan, cook ground beef and Italian sausage.  Drain fat.  Put back in the pan and mix in spaghetti sauce.
2. In small bowl, mix together ricotta cheese and 2 eggs.  Add parsley flakes for color if desired.  Add about 1/2 tsp salt and a few dashes of pepper.
3. In slow cooker or deep casserole dish (2.5" or deeper), spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom.  Place one layer of ravioli on sauce.  Cover ravioli with half of the remaining sauce.  Then layer on ALL the ricotta cheese (put on in scoops then spread lightly so it doesn't mix in with the sauce).  Top with half of the mozzarella.  Place another layer of ravioli.
4. Layer as follows from bottom to top:
1. bottom of pan - thin layer of sauce
2. ravioli
3. half of the remaining sauce
4. ALL of the ricotta (put on in scoops then spread lightly so it doesn't mix in with the sauce)
5. half of the mozzarella
6. ravioli
7. rest of the sauce

OVEN:  Baked covered in the oven until center gets bubbly like the outer edges at 350 F, about 1 hour 20 minutes.  Take out and layer on the rest of the mozzarella.  Turn oven to 450 F and place lasagna back in the oven uncovered until the cheese is melted and toasty, for about 5 minutes. 

SLOW COOKER:  Layer on the rest of the mozzarella.  Place on lid and cook on low in the slow cooker for 7 hours.

TIPS:  

• VEGETARIAN OPTION: You can easily make this a vegetarian dish by excluding meat or substituting meat with alternative meat or a fresh vegetable like broccoli or green beans and using a cheese ravioli.
• Try adding fresh spinach or kale as an additional layer to add color and nutrition (not that lasagna is ever healthy).