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A casserole dish filled with marinara and cheese covered ravioli with a spatula removing a portion.
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5 from 1 vote

⭐ Ultimate Million Dollar Ravioli Casserole with Italian Sausage

A rich, creamy, cheesy baked ravioli dish layered with savory Italian sausage marinara and a cloud-like ricotta filling — pure comfort food magic.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Resting Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Main Course Pasta
Cuisine: American-Italian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 793kcal
Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Equipment

Ingredients

Sauce layer:

  • 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage casings removed
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 jar Marinara sauce. 24-28 oz. Good quality sauce. We like Rao. Gia Russo also has a good Marinara sauce.
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • Fresh basil or parsley optional

Creamy "Million Dollar" layer:

  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Pasta:

  • 24 oz. cheese ravioli Refrigerated type

Topping:

  • 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
  • ¼ cup Parmesan
  • Fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

Build the sausage sauce:

  • In a skillet, brown sausage with onion until cooked through.
  • Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds.
  • Add marinara, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
  • Simmer 10 minutes — let the flavors marry.

Make the million dollar filling:

  • In a medium-sized bowl, mix the ricotta, cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Add the egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.

Put it together:

  • Spread layers in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish:
  • ½ cup sausage sauce mixture
  • Half the ravioli evenly across the bottom of the baking dish.
  • All creamy ricotta mixture.
  • Remaining ravioli
  • Rest of the sausage sauce
  • Top with mozzarella + Parmesan

Bake:

  • Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes at 350°F
  • Remove foil and bake 10–15 minutes uncovered until bubbly and golden
  • Rest 10 minutes before slicing
  • Finish with fresh basil. Buon appetito!

Notes

Optional Flavor Upgrades: 
  • Spinach-Boosted: Add sautéed baby spinach to the ricotta layer
  • Three-Cheese Power: Swap half the mozzarella for provolone or fontina
  • White Sauce Swirl: Spoon Alfredo over the marinara before baking
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Pop: Chop & add to sausage sauce
  • Spicy Kick: Crushed Calabrian chiles or spicy Italian sausage

Nutrition

Calories: 793kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 183mg | Sodium: 1952mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1173IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 414mg | Iron: 11mg