Slow Cooker Sausage Ravioli

Name: Slow Cooker Sausage Ravioli
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 5 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds ground pork sausage; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 5 cups pasta sauce (use thick chunky preferred); 1 pound frozen cheese ravioli; 1 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese; 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; Non-stick cooking spray; Fresh parsley chopped for garnish

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 02 February 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Ground pork sausage browned great smell. Layers between hearty ravioli and robust sauce. Parmesan swapped for pecorino for sharper kick. Mozzarella stays stretchy gooey. Slow cooker medium settings. Layering crucial to avoid mushy bites. Time tweaked for best texture. Quick spray stops sticking, essential with rich mixtures. Fresh parsley brightens heavy flavors. Adjust sodium by swapping sauce or cheese. Count on bubbling edges and cheese melt signals done. Sausage browned well before layering, so no risk of raw bits. Ravioli choice impacts outcome; frozen works best, drier less reliable. Watch moisture or becomes gluey. Simple, rustic, full mouthfuls of comfort.

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 2h 5min

Total: 2h 20min

Servings: 8 servings

#slow cooker #Italian-American #pasta #one pot meal #comfort food

Sausage and ravioli layered slow cooker hack. Forget time wasted boiling noodles then layering oven lasagna. This one cooks everything tucked in slow heat, melds flavors rich and rustic. Sausage browned first to lock flavor and texture, none of that rubbery undercooked meat. Using ravioli skips assembling sheets, more forgiving. Sauce thick enough so it doesn’t turn watery, that’s common culprit in messy slow cooker dishes. Cheese layering split sharp pecorino for punch and mozzarella for stretchiness, personal twist from usual parmesan mozzarella duo. Took me a few tries timing it right, too long and ravioli collapse. Bring herbs at end for brightness, cutting richness. Works under 2.5 hours on high, slow cooker temp varies, observe bubbling and cheese melt. Go ahead, toss everything in, wake to cheesy, meaty goodness.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground pork sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cups pasta sauce (use thick chunky preferred)
1 pound frozen cheese ravioli
1 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Non-stick cooking spray
Fresh parsley chopped for garnish

About the ingredients

Switching sausage to ground pork keeps fat content consistent but also can swap for spicy Italian sausage to kick heat up. Olive oil optional but adds caramel notes when browning, skip if sausage super fatty. Ravioli frozen works best to hold shape; fresh pasta ravioli falls apart too fast during slow cooking unless added very late or texture lost. Pecorino sharper/saltier than parmesan, brings zip; if not on hand, dry asiago also good substitute. Mozzarella must be shredded fresh and drained or cheese water destines watery slow cooker liquids. Pasta sauce thick and low-acid preferable to avoid sour tang; you can use homemade or store-bought but thicker thicker better. Non-stick spray essential for cleanup and stopping bottom sticking; a slow cooker liner can be an alternative but less crispy edges. Parsley fresh chopped, never dried, adds clean herbal pop post cooking.

Method

Brown sausage over medium heat stirring and crumbling fine. Oil may release, stir so it gently sizzles not fries hard. Drain excess fat or can leave small for flavor but not pooled grease. Set aside but keep warm.
Spray crockpot insert thoroughly. Non-stick spray guards ravioli from sticking to sides or bottom, prevents mess. Essential step, can't skip unless liner used.
Start with half pasta sauce spreading even layer on bottom. Look for red-orange glossy shine, set foundation so ravioli don’t overcook on bottom.
Add half ravioli over sauce evenly spaced to avoid overlap clumps. Frozen preferred, fresh ravioli too soft, turns mushy in slow cook.
Drop half browned sausage evenly, break chunks apart with spatula so no giant clumps, want bite size meat in every forkful.
Sprinkle half pecorino for sharp salt undertones, then mozzarella for gooey melting layers. Use freshly shredded over pre-packaged, melts better keeps texture.
Repeat: sauce layer, ravioli layer, sausage, pecorino then mozzarella topping fully layered.
Cover, cook on high about 2 hours or low 3.5 hours. Watch bubbling at edges and listen for soft bubbling sounds from sides. Cheese melts and browns slightly on edges except you won’t get crust in slow cooker. Touch ravioli edge through lid – should be tender but holding shape.
Sprinkle fresh parsley bright green contrast and herbaceous finish. Adds life to heavy layered dish.

Cooking tips

Start by browning sausage thoroughly; this step critical for flavor and safe cooking. Too shy and you risk uneven meat texture inside. Maintain medium heat to render fat slowly, browning bits add savory depth without char. Spray crockpot well to prevent sticking, common problem made worse by comparing to baked lasagna. Layer evenly not thick clumps; thicker layers lead to uneven cooking, watch space between ravioli so slow cooker heat surrounds. Sauce first guarantees ravioli slow absorb moisture without burning bottom. Cheese split layering stops melting too fast, delivers textural variety. Cook on high prioritized for time but add few minutes if edges still not bubbling or ravioli firm. Listen for gentle bubbling and watch cheese melt to gauge doneness; avoid lifting lid too often or heat loss ruins timing. Finished dish should be bubbling gently with melted cheese and sausage hot throughout. Garnish parsley at end to keep brightness alive.

Chef's notes

💡 Brown sausage medium heat slow and steady. Renders fat, extra flavor bits form. Oil pools then sizzles gently, no hard frying. Keeps meat tender inside. Drain some fat but leave little grease for richness. Don’t skip this step or risk rubbery chunks later.
💡 Use frozen ravioli only. Fresh stuff collapses mushy when slow cooked long. Frozen withstands heat slow cooker throws. Space ravioli so heat flows around. No clumps. Even layering means better texture overall. Don’t stir during cook; ravioli breaks apart easy.
💡 Spray crockpot insert thick with non-stick spray or use liner. Prevents stuck bottom and messy cleanup. Without it, burnt sauce and gluey cheese mess up edges. Liner optional but spray better for crispiness slight edges. You want clean lift not sticky struggle.
💡 Split cheese layering. Put half pecorino sharp salty zip then mozzarella shredded for gooey melt. Finish top same way. Fresh shredded melts best. Packaged greasy water ruins slow cooker liquid. Keeps texture and flavor punch. Cheese melts slow, no crust but golden edges happen subtly.
💡 Watch for bubbling edges and soft bubbling sounds from cooker sides. Cheese melts and slightly browns on edges. Touch ravioli edge through lid to check firmness. Tender but holds shape is key. Too soft equals glue. Timing depends on cooker heat so observe closely.

Common questions

Can I use fresh ravioli?

Fresh ravioli too soft, falls apart slow cook. Frozen holds shape better. If fresh, add last 30 minutes only or texture lost. Alternative small stuffed pasta works but reduce cook time, watch tightly.

How to prevent stuck bottom?

Non-stick spray or liner critical. Spray insert thick, don’t skip. Also layering sauce first protects ravioli. If stuck happens use soak immediately after for easier cleanup. Avoid stirring mid cook, breaks apart, makes sticky mess worse.

What if sauce too watery?

Reduce sauce on stovetop first. Thick and chunky help keep ravioli from getting gluey. Thin sauce seeps in too fast, mush happens. If can’t reduce, add less sauce or layer carefully to prevent soggy blobs.

How to store leftovers?

Refrigerate loosely covered up to 3 days usually safe. Reheat gently in oven or microwave. Slow cooker keeps moisture so reheat low. Can freeze in airtight container but texture slightly softer on thaw. Not a big deal for meals other days.