Transform Store-Bought Ravioli With This Easy Foil Pack Recipe

Nicole Rufus

Fri, August 15, 2025 at 3:35 PM UTC

4 min read

Transform Store-Bought Ravioli With This Easy Foil Pack Recipe

Foil pack ravioli is a simple 3-ingredient recipe that involves wrapping store-bought ravioli and jarred tomato sauce in aluminum foil and baking it in the oven.
The foil pack ravioli cooking method is similar to the Italian "al cartoccio" technique, which involves tightly wrapping food in foil or parchment paper to trap flavors, commonly used for seafood and pasta dishes.
Tips for upgrading foil pack ravioli include adding butter to jarred sauce for depth of flavor, customizing with different sauces like pesto or vodka sauce, tossing ravioli in a bowl for even coating, greasing foil to prevent sticking, and broiling for crispy cheese topping.

Despite how much I love to cook, one thing I will never grow fond of is cleaning up afterward. For that reason, I'm a huge fan of one-pot meals , sheet pan meals or any recipe that reduces the number of dishes . I like to enjoy my meal without stressing in the back of my mind over the massive amount of cleaning waiting for me once I'm finished. And that's one of the many reasons I'm a big fan of a dish I've recently been seeing on my social media feed: foil pack ravioli.

That's right. No pot, no sheet pan, just some aluminum foil. This dinner hack uses store-bought ravioli and jarred tomato sauce, so it is the perfect option for those nights when you really don't feel like cooking (and/or cleaning), and you've already spent too much on take-out for the month. This easy 3-ingredient ravioli recipe will soon become a go-to in your kitchen.

Related: I Made Basil Cheese and Now I'm Putting It on Pretty Much Everything

What Is Foil Pack Ravioli?

Foil pack ravioli is similar to a classic Italian method, "al cartoccio," which means that the food is tightly wrapped and then baked in the oven. In French, this method is called "en papillote." Typically, when this cooking method is used, the food is wrapped in either parchment paper or aluminum foil, like with our foil pack ravioli.

The most popular type of al cartoccio dishes involves fish or chicken baked in parchment paper with vegetables and herbs. The wrapping helps to trap the flavor of the herbs, which makes for a more flavorful dish. However, in Italian cooking, there are also several pasta al cartoccio dishes. One very popular example is seafood linguine al cartoccio, which is the perfect way to cook seafood like shrimp, clams, mussels and squid.

So, while you're preparing your foil pack ravioli (like cookbook author and food creator @dannylovespasta does in the video above), you can take pride in the fact that although the use of store-bought ravioli might make many Italians wince, you are bringing a bit of Italian culinary tradition into your cooking. Plus, you'll be able to enjoy your dinner in peace without the lingering thought of a sink full of dishes.
Related: The Super Simple Pasta Fans Say Is 'Perfect for Busy Weeknights'

How To Make Foil Pack Ravioli

I really wasn't exaggerating when I said this recipe was easy. All you have to do is tear off a large sheet of aluminum foil, put the store-bought ravioli down on top, cover it with any store-bought jarred pasta sauce of your choice, and top it with cheese. That's the hardest part of making foil pack ravioli.

Wrap the foil tightly, covering all the ravioli, and bake until the pasta is cooked and hot, which should take 15 to 20 minutes. Voila!

Related: I Made Pasta With 11 Store-Bought Pesto Sauces and the Winner Was Abundantly Clear

Tips for Upgrading Your Foil Pack Ravioli

1. Butter Makes Everything Better

The mother of Italian cooking, Marcella Hazan , is widely credited with introducing Americans to the magic of adding a bit of butter to tomato sauce . Store-bought sauce often lacks depth of flavor and is often very acidic, but with a few tablespoons of butter, you can mellow out the acidity and give your jarred sauce a delightful velvety texture.

2. Get Sassy With the Sauce

One of the best things about this recipe is that you can customize it based on whatever type of sauce you're in the mood for. It would taste delicious with pesto, or roasted garlic jarred sauce, but my preferred way to sass up my sauce is by using Giada De Laurentiis' genius hack for turning plain jarred tomato sauce into delicious vodka sauce.

3. Use a Bowl, if You Can Bear It

I know. I know. This is supposed to be a no-dish recipe, but I promise this tip makes it worth using just one dish. I like to toss the ravioli and sauce together in a bowl, so that there is an even coating of sauce all over the pasta.

4. Spray Your Sheet

I'd recommend greasing the foil with just a tiny bit of cooking spray or oil, so that the ravioli doesn't get stuck to the foil.

5. Bring on the Broiler

If you like your pasta with crispy edges, once your ravioli is almost done cooking, open up the foil pack and give the pasta a quick broil. The cheese on top will develop the most perfect crispy texture, kind of like the browned cheese on top of a pizza.

This story was originally published by Parade on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.