Vegetable Ravioli "Lasagna"

Another Yum!  We're on a Rachel Ray kick this past week and here's another good one.  Vegetable Ravioli "Lasagna" - super yummy and a plus that it has asparagus, a good spring/summer veggie.  This is from Rachel Ray, 30-Minute Meals 2 in the Family-Style Suppers.  I don't always find that the portion sizes always match the recipe and this is another case, it says 4-6 servings...more like 8.

Recipe Notes:
*This recipe is also in Rachel Rays, 2,4,6,8 Great Meals for Couples or Crowds - one difference, no asparagus.

• 4-6 cloves of garlic finely chopped crushed
• 2 cans [15 oz each] quartered artichokes in water, drained well & finely chopped, really break up the pieces and chop them throughly.
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 large package [24 - 28 oz] fresh well, yes fresh would be lovely too, but you can certainly use frozen ravioli if it's more convenient for you...with your favorite filling.  
• 1 lb thins asparagus spears, trimmed of rough ends, cut on an angle into 2 inch very small pieces.  It's inconvenient to have large pieces of asparagus amongst the other medium sized pieces in the "lasagna."
• 4  or 2 cups shredded sharp provolone cheese - sharp provolone is a great flavor, look for it!
• See note below regarding final cooking instructions

Here's the first layer of ravioli, I like the circular pieces, despite my usual preference for square.  Notice the large pile of provolone in the corner...yum!  

Here's the second layer of spinach, artichokes and asparagus.  You can see I followed the recipe this time and kept the asparagus 2"...this is why I have the above note, smaller pieces would be best here.  The sauce didn't thicken as much as I'm used to when using a flour & butter base, but it's perfect the way it is since you're finishing the casserole in the oven.

Here's the final layer with the sauce covering the entire dish, ready and waiting for the cheese!  I used a larger casserole dish but I recommend using a deeper, oval dish, I'll do the same the next time I make this.

Ready for the oven! The recipe calls to broil the dish, but it's better to: Brown in broiler Bake @ 350deg. about 15 minutes, until cheese is golden and "lasagna" is heated through.  

This lasted for days!  It was so yummy too.  It looks the best on the first day but tastes the better the second day - as it works with most casseroles.  What's great about that is you can prepare the day ahead, cool completely, store in an airtight container until ready to serve.  About an hour before serving, let stand at room temperature so you don't place a cold dish in a hot oven and warm in the oven until heated through - about a 250 - 300 deg. oven until gently bubbling. Enjoy!