Baked Spinach & Mushroom Ravioli Lasagna

Baked Spinach & Mushroom Ravioli Lasagna is the easy weeknight dinner you need. You’ll love this shortcut on a beloved Italian dish, in which cheesy ravioli mimics the warm, comforting layers of a classic lasagna. Meaty cremini mushrooms increase their umami flavor and earthy richness as they brown in the pan. They are perfectly paired with antioxidant-rich onions and spinach to increase the nutrition in this recipe. The quick homemade tomato-basil sauce is refreshing and adds brightness—and is a great way to skip the added sugar and sodium you’d typically get in store-bought marinara. Keep reading for our expert tips, including smart substitutions for the ravioli flavors and how to convert fresh herb amounts to dried. 

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Cooking the mushrooms undisturbed at first allows them to develop a nice browning, which enhances better browning later on.
• If you prefer not to layer the ingredients, stir the mushrooms and spinach into the sauce along with the ravioli and add everything to the skillet simultaneously.
• If you don’t have fresh basil on hand, you can substitute it with 2 tablespoons of dried basil. Dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor than fresh ones, so you’ll need less.
• We recommend using cheese ravioli but feel free to choose one with the ingredients that you prefer—cheese, vegetable or meat.

Nutrition Notes

• Cremini mushrooms have a deeper, earthier flavor than you’ll get from white button mushrooms. Mushrooms are low in carbohydrates, which makes them ideal for anyone following a low-carb dietary pattern. They are also packed with B vitamins for a healthy metabolism, and if you can find UV-exposed mushrooms, you’ll also get a good dose of vitamin D. 
• Spinach adds a beautiful bright green color and also packs some mighty nutrition. It is rich in folate, an essential nutrient to prevent neural tube defects during pregnancy. It’s also a plant-based source of iron—important for healthy red blood cells. 
• Crushed tomatoes might be your new favorite pantry staple if you like some texture in your sauce without having chunks of tomato. Cooked tomatoes have more lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Lycopene is a carotenoid—yes, like beta carotene—which is an antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation in conditions like obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 
• Cheese ravioli substitutes for pasta noodles in this creative dish, adding more protein and carbs for an energy-boosting, filling meal. The ravioli does add some extra sodium, so if you’re watching your sodium intake, throw in a little extra spinach or have some apricots as your dessert to get more potassium in your meal, which can help your body flush out extra sodium.