How to Cook Frozen Ravioli (Quick and Easy)
Cooking frozen ravioli in the Instant Pot is the EASIEST way to get dinner on the table fast. Open a bag, layer the ingredients, and in 20 minutes you’ll have everything ready to go!
This is the meal you can pull out of your back pocket when you really need it.
Busy days.
Sick days.
Gone-wrong days.
No matter why you need it, all of the ingredients last for months in the freezer or pantry, so it’s ready when you are.
Plus, when you cook frozen ravioli in the Instant Pot, it’s almost entirely hands-off. Just put the ingredients in layers and press start. Put your feet up until it’s time to release the pressure and then dinner is magically ready.
What kind of ravioli should I use?
Any kind of frozen ravioli will work with this recipe.
Our family prefers a cheese ravioli, so this is a meatless meal for us. However, ground beef ravioli works equally well.
Use your favorite!
Can I cook frozen ravioli without defrosting?
Yes! This recipe was written to cook frozen ravioli directly from the freezer. No need to remember to defrost the night before.
(And actually, if you use this recipe with defrosted ravioli, the pasta will be over-cooked by the time it’s done.)
Note: Since the ravioli is frozen, it’ll take a little longer for your Instant Pot to reach pressure, but it’s worth it!
Why do I need to spray the cooking pot first?
Short answer: Spray the cooking pot to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom.
More detailed: Normally, when you cook ravioli, you’d bring the water to a rolling boil and then add the pasta. The boiling water would keep the ravioli moving in the pot, so the ravioli wouldn’t stick.
However, adding this much liquid to the Instant Pot would water down the sauce. Plus, there’s no stirring in the Instant Pot. So we spray the pot to keep the pasta from sticking.
How to cook frozen ravioli in sauce?
The key to this dish is to pour the sauce in a single layer on top of the noodles. Do NOT stir.
This is so important to avoid the burn notice! Keep the sauce off the bottom of the pot as much as possible.
Cooking frozen ravioli with the sauce on top helps to cook the pasta evenly.
Note: The sauce you choose makes a big difference in the finished flavor. Our favorite (which we only buy on sale as a splurge) is Rao’s Tomato Basil. We also like Bertolli Tomato Basil.
How to serve shortcut ravioli?
We like to serve this in individual bowls, with grated mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on top.
If you like heat, add some red pepper flakes for garnish.
As far as sides go, we keep things easy: steamed veggies, carrot sticks, or a quick and easy salad. We also love the Costco bake-at-home bread, which lasts in the pantry for several months.
Recipe variations
We kept this recipe very simple and limited to pantry-stable items.
However, it is so flexible! You can change up the flavors of jarred sauce or even switch to pesto or alfredo sauces! (Just a note—non-marinara sauces separate while pressure cooking. You can add them after with no chance to the cook time.)
After pressure cooking, gently stir in a large handful of spinach and allow to wilt.
Want more of a twist? We’ve got recipes for that!
One-Pot Ravioli: Ground sausage and a homemade tomato sauce. Easy to stretch with no changes to the recipe.
Spinach Artichoke Ravioli: Ever wished Spinach Artichoke Dip was a full meal? This is your recipe.
Instant Pot Tortellini: A fast and flavorful weeknight dinner that’s perfect for meatless Monday.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Shortcut Ravioli | Instant Pot method
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1/2 cup broth or water we used beef broth
- 1 package (25 oz) frozen ravioli we used Cheese ravioli
- 1 cup jarred pasta sauce plus more for serving (we used Tomato Basil)
- Shredded cheese optional, for serving (we used Italian cheese blend)
- Fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Spray the cooking pot with nonstick spray and wipe to ensure it is distributed evenly.
- Add broth and frozen ravioli to the pot in an even layer. Add the spaghetti sauce on top and DO NOT STIR. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 2 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Gently stir the ravioli to incorporate the sauce.
- Serve immediately, topped with additional sauce (if desired), cheese, and parsley.
Nutrition
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It’s a great idea for using an Instapot; less pots and pans to clean. But I’m not sure that it saves time.
Starting with boiling water, fresh or refrigerated ravioli are done in 6-8 minutes. For frozen ravioli, add the time it takes to bring the water back to boiling after they are added to the pot. That’s typically 5-10 minutes.
My experience as a 68-yer old Italian cook.
Considering the time it takes to get water boiling on the stove, it’s hard to say. I just loved the hands off approach here. But there is nothing wrong with using the tried and true stovetop method.
Hey, this looks great! Can I use my Duo Mini for it or do you think it’s too small?