5-Ingredient Pesto Alfredo Ravioli Bake

When I'm looking for a super quick, easy recipe that I can throw in the oven on a busy weeknight, this recipe is always top of mind. With only 5 ingredients and about 20 minutes of prep, you can have your family running for seconds. I love pesto, so I'll take any excuse I can to add it to a recipe! This is not only a great weeknight meal, but comes together quickly with pantry staples, and you'll have leftovers! Bonus: this is a great recipe to make with the kiddos- they'll love helping assemble the layers.

Before you start cooking, you'll want to gather the items you'll need so everything is close by. You'll need an oven-safe baking dish, a mixing bowl, and a spoon or utensil to mix with. For ingredients, you'll need (2) family size containers of fresh ravioli, (2) jars of alfredo sauce, 1 cup of basil pesto, 1 cup of vegetable stock, and 2 cups of shredded Italian cheese.

Once you have everything collected, you can get started! First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, you'll want to make the pesto alfredo sauce. To do this, just empty both jars of alfredo sauce, the pesto, and the vegetable stock into your mixing bowl and mix well. You can add a little bit of broth to each of the jars, replace the lid, and shake them up to make sure you get all of that delicious alfredo sauce out.

After your sauce is ready, the only thing left to do is layer! You'll want to start with about a cup of sauce at the bottom of your dish so that the ravioli doesn't stick. Then add a layer of ravioli right on top of the sauce. It doesn't have to be perfect, everything will mix together anyway. Once you have a layer of ravioli down, sprinkle with cheese. I kept this recipe vegetarian this time but you can easily add cooked chicken for extra protein. If you do decide to add chicken, you'll want to add it after the sauce and before the cheese in layers. I was able to get 5 layers in my dish.

Once your layers are done, you'll want to top with a little extra sauce and some more cheese, then cover with foil and pop in the oven for about 30 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the foil and broil for a few more minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Let it rest for a few minutes, garnish with parsley (optional), and serve!

This dish is so simple and so delicious, you'll want to make it every week. It's also a great dish to make in smaller aluminum trays to freeze and make later. If you're cooking this dish from frozen, I recommend thawing it in the fridge the day before. It may need an additional 5-10 minutes in the oven. If you're cooking with frozen ravioli rather than fresh, add 10 minutes to the baking time. Give this easy, 5-ingredient pesto alfredo ravioli bake a try and let me know what you think!