how long to cook frozen ravioli

One of the easiest and most filling weekday dinners is ravioli. This classic pasta dish comes together very quickly, as ravioli cooking time is pretty short.

If you need a quick nutritious meal without requiring much thought or effort, this dish is a great go-to, with various cooking options and flavor profiles.

Before we get into the process on how to cook frozen ravioli, let's take a quick peek at the meal. To put things simply, ravioli is pasta, containing sealed pockets that are filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables.

Like most pasta dishes, ravioli is cooked first, before being baked or served with a hearty sauce, making it a simple, yet delicious meal. You can serve it as an appetizer, or as a main dish together with some salad or garlic bread.

The Best Way to Cook Frozen Ravioli

Ravioli noodles can be cooked in a variety of ways. When cooked from scratch, they just need to be blanched in boiling water.

However, with frozen ravioli, you can cook them in a number of ways for speed and convenience. There are also a few things you can add to make them taste fresh like you spent ages in the kitchen prepping them!

Here's what you will need for cooking frozen ravioli:

Frozen ravioli
3-6 quarts of water
Saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
Ladle or spoon
Slotted spoon or colander
Any kind of sauce
Baking tray or casserole dish
Shredded Cheese (optional)

Stovetop Ravioli with Sauce:

The best way to cook frozen ravioli is by boiling.

Simply take out the portion of ravioli you want, and toss them into boiling water without waiting for them to thaw or defrost.

The frozen ravioli cooking time is around 10-12 minutes, enough time for them to be cooked through. You can also just wait for the ravioli to float to the top of the pot to gauge whether they have been cooked.

Once cooked through, just plate the ravioli and serve with sauce poured over them. This can be a quick sauce made from fresh tomatoes, a hearty ragu, or some herb-y pesto.

You can top it off with grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese and herbs like basil or parsley. Using fresh herbs and spices will make the meal taste like it was made from scratch instead of frozen.

Baked Ravioli:

Baking frozen ravioli is also a great way to prepare this kind of pasta. Without boiling or microwaving the frozen ravioli shells, layer them in a baking pan or casserole dish greased with a little olive oil.

You can also spread a heavy meat-based sauce in the dish to make it more filling.

Then, arrange half of the shells over the sauce. After that, spread a thin layer of cheese over them.

You can use mozzarella, parmesan, and even shredded Monterey Jack. Some people also add things like a thin layer of ricotta or crumbled feta.

Repeat the layers until you have used up all your ravioli shells. However, use less sauce or leave it out altogether for the next layers. Too much sauce can make your finished product rather soggy. Top with parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for around 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbly.

Let the ravioli rest for 10 minutes and set before cutting into the dish and serving. You can sprinkle additional cheese, a bit of grated nutmeg, freshly ground black pepper, or minced herbs.

How to Cook Frozen Ravioli in the Microwave

A microwaved frozen ravioli recipe is the ultimate lazy meal. You can find microwavable ravioli bowls that can be cooked and ready in mere minutes.

But if you can't get a hold of them, or just don't like the taste of microwavable dinners, you can easily use regular frozen ravioli.

Take a bag of frozen ravioli (or around 15 ounces in total). Place them in a large microwave-safe bowl.
Add 2.5 cups of water to the bowl.
Cover the bowl with cling film or plastic wrap and use a fork or knife to pierce holes into the plastic.
Microwave on high for 10 minutes or until the ravioli is cooked through. Pause the microwave halfway through to give the ravioli a good stir, ensuring even cooking.
Use a strainer or slotted spoon/colander to remove them from the water. Serve like you would stovetop ravioli, with sauce and shredded cheese.

How to Cook Frozen Ravioli in the Air Fryer

Want a crunchier version of ravioli? Deep frying them is an option, but who wants to deal with all the extra calories? Instead, use your air fryer for a flavorful ravioli dish that won't add to your waistline (at least not as much as regular fried ones)!

The concept of this dish is straightforward. Bread the frozen ravioli, stick them in the air fryer, and serve with a dipping sauce.

For this recipe, you will need to defrost your ravioli and bring them down to room temperature. Pat them dry with some kitchen towels and then spritz them with a little oil.
Set up two dishes: one with buttermilk, and the other with breadcrumbs. If you don't have buttermilk, add a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice for each cup of full-fat milk.
To amp up the dish, add a pinch of salt and mixed Italian seasoning to your breadcrumbs.
Preheat the air fryer to 400F.
Dunk the ravioli into the buttermilk, and then dip each one into the breadcrumbs. Make sure every inch of the ravioli is coated with the breadcrumbs.
Place them in the air fryer in a single layer and cook them for 3-5 minutes, spritzing the tops with oil halfway through the cooking process. This stops the pasta shells from drying.
Once they are crispy and golden-brown, remove them from the air fryer. Serve with pesto or marinara.

The Best Frozen Ravioli

Since you can stuff ravioli pockets with lots of different fillings, the possible flavors are endless. Here are some of the best-frozen ravioli variations that you can't go wrong with!

The Ravioli Store Five Cheese Jumbo Ravioli:

Want something that tastes and looks like fancy restaurant ravioli? This option doesn't taste like a frozen, quick meal. Although it is rather pricey, if you're searching for something that tastes handmade, these are perfect.

The ravioli has lots of filling, containing rich ricotta with hints traces of sharper cheeses; Fontina, bel paese, pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano Reggiano). The pasta has a nice chewy, al dente quality to it, so there is no mush.

Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli:

This ready-to-eat ravioli is rich, hearty, and perfect for kids and grownups alike. It cooked in just under 2 minutes in a microwave and served instantly. However, that doesn't mean that it compromises in terms of quality.

It uses a thick tomato-based sauce that is both sweet and acidic and has a dense, creamy texture. Also, it includes premium beef, enriching the meal, and giving it a complex flavor profile as well. For an affordable weeknight dinner, this is the ideal option.

Trader Joe's Mushroom Ravioli:

Looking to purchase in bulk? This 6-pack of ravioli will last you for months to come. It has a creamy filling stuffed with mushrooms, making it a good meatless alternative.

There are hints of cheese that complement the mushroom and the best part is that the fillings do not ooze out while cooking.

It also comes with a lovely truffle sauce that you can serve over your cooked ravioli. This truly transforms the dish from a simple meal to something a lot more luxurious.

Other Ways You Can Cook Frozen Ravioli

Cooking ravioli like pasta or air frying them is a pretty conventional way of preparation and can get boring fast. This is especially true if you are an adventurous eater. Instead, there are a few more ways of trying out this dish for a more interesting experience:

Served in a Broth:

Give your ravioli an Asian twist by serving it a broth like dumplings. You can fancy up store-bought broth by simmering it with spring onions, ginger, garlic, and a whole host of spices like cinnamon, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and cloves.

Cooked in Béchamel Sauce:

Parboil your frozen ravioli and then finish it off in a rich béchamel sauce that has fresh herbs and vibrant veggies like broccoli and asparagus.

Add dimension to the sauce by thinning it out with broth and light white wine for flavor. This recipe works best with mushroom ravioli.

Ravioli Vegetable Soup:

If you want to complement a heavy beef ravioli with fresh vegetables, this recipe is perfect for chilly winter nights. After boiling your ravioli, toss them into a pot of vegetable soup.

This will jazz up leek-and-potato soup, pumpkin soup, roasted butternut squash soup, and even a classic tomato soup.

Cooking Queries

Below you'll find answers to questions we get asked the most about the process of cooking frozen ravioli.

01. How Long Does Cooking Frozen Ravioli Take?

Frozen ravioli takes a little longer to cook than fresh ravioli. It takes 10 minutes in a microwave, 10-13 minutes on the stovetop, or 3-5 minutes in an air fryer. Baking ravioli takes a little longer, taking anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes.

02. How Long Do You Boil Ravioli?

Fresh ravioli can be boiled in just 3-4 minutes (or even less depending on the size). When it comes to boiling frozen ravioli keep boiling it for 10-12 minutes, or until they float to the surface.

03. Can I Bake Frozen Ravioli Instead of Boiling?

Baked ravioli is an easier way to cook this pasta dish as you won't have to cook the ravioli shells separately. Simply layer the frozen ravioli with sauce in a large dish and bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes.

04. How Can I Prevent My Ravioli from Going Soggy?

To keep your ravioli chewy and firm, avoid overcooking it. Not only will it make your ravioli feel rubbery, but it will also retain more water go soggy. Another way to prevent sogginess is to poach the ravioli instead of boiling them.

To do this, first bring the water to a rapidly rolling boil. Then add the frozen ravioli and turn off the flame.

Cover the pot with a well-fitted lid and let the pasta poach in the boiling water for around 15 minutes, or until cooked through and al dente.

In a Nutshell

Ravioli seems to be the one dinner that is healthy, filling, and super convenient. Whether you need a filling meal for yourself or your little one, it is a good option. Ravioli is also a good meal for toddlers as it contains carbs, vegetables, and protein.

But what sets it apart is the speed at which it can be prepared. Knowing how to cook frozen ravioli can help you make a yummy meal in no time at all.

At the same time it takes to make a grilled cheese sandwich, you can have something healthier and more filling. So next time you need a quick meal, make a bowl of frozen ravioli with sauce, and thank us later.

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