The Blues, ragged in southern Italy like so often this season, matched the 3-1 first-leg scoreline to force another half-hour, before Ivanovic smashed in a priceless winner (105) to continue their post-Villas Boas revival.
Last month's damage might well have been worse, such was Napoli's swashbuckling play against slapdash opponents, and the Italians' early attacks were just as thrillingly fluent.
Marek Hamsik's shot drew a outstretched leg from Petr Cech before Edinson Cavani put Christian Maggio's threatening cross into side-netting but Didier Drogba's header (29) suddenly changed the mood.
Morgan De Sanctis was lucky to grab a loose ball from Juan Mata's feet moments before the break but minutes after it, Chelsea momentum was further rewarded by John Terry's glancer (48).
Napoli had no choice but to respond but though they snatched their away goal through Gokhan Inler's truest of half-volleys (55), Andrea Dossena's misplaced arm conceded the spot-kick that another of the old guard, Frank Lampard, converted (75) to force more time.
Hapless Fernando Torres had a chance to be the headline-maker but that man instead was Ivanovic, unmarked and emphatic in his finish when Drogba looked up and centred.
One Napoli goal and it would all have been in vain but blue shirts kept shape and focus, ensuring this would not be the first year since 1996 that the last eight was without English interest.
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