Baked Ravioli with Spinach and Mushrooms

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

a good drizzle of olive oil (extra-virgin)

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms (thinly sliced)

½ medium yellow onion (finely diced)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning (optional, if your sauce already has herbs in it)

24 ounces marinara sauce (jarred or homemade)

salt and pepper (to taste)

20 ounces mini cheese ravioli (I used the family size package, 20 oz. made by Buitoni)

4 cups baby spinach (roughly chopped)

2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)

fresh basil (torn)

Directions

Arrange a shelf on the top third of the oven and pre-heat to 375 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the mushrooms and onions and sauté until the vegetables have softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and dried Italian herb seasoning and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the marinara sauce, a ½ cup of water (if using jarred sauce...I like to pour the water into the jar and swish it around to get the rest of the sauce in the jar and then pour it in), salt and pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors meld. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed.

One the sauce is done, gather a 9×13 or 3 quart baking dish and evenly add in a cup of sauce as the first layer. Next, add a layer of ravioli (half of your ravioli), like pictured above. Please note that the ravioli will be added straight from the package and no additional preparation will be need for the ravioli because the ravioli will cook in the oven while baking. Add the layer of spinach, a ½ cup of the sauce, and then 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Next, layer on the remaining ravioli, sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Top with the freshly grated parmesan cheese. Be sure to cover all ravioli with the sauce and cheese.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, and remove the foil. Return the dish to the oven uncovered. Bake until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden, about 20 more minutes. (If you'd like the top to be slightly more browned on top, then place it under the broiler for a minute or two.)

Serve in bowls or plates and shower with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Calories: 491 kcal
• Total Fat: 21 g
• Saturated Fat: 9 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 84 mg
• Sodium: 1446 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 50 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 7 g
• Protein: 26 g