Upgrade that store-bought ravioli to something you'd get at a restaurant with this rich and creamy tomato ravioli sauce with spinach and parmesan.
You can get it on the table in 15 minutes, and best of all, you can make it all in one pan.
This is perfect comfort food for busy weeknights!
I've yet to find a store-bought pasta/ravioli sauce that tastes great. This means fresh ravioli often gets overlooked, because it's not going to match that restaurant experience.
And yet I really like the ravioli itself. So that set me on a course to make a really quick and easy, but REALLY tasty sauce for ravioli. Best of all, you cook the ravioli in the sauce you're making - no need to boil it in a seperate pan.
One pan recipes are my favourite!!
📋 What do we need?
Tomato puree: In the UK we call the thick tomato tomato concentrate tomato puree. In the US, it's known as tomato paste.
Italian herb mix: This is a ready-made mixture, usually consisting of oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. If you can't get hold of it, then a mixture of oregano and thyme works well as a replacement.
Roasted tomatoes: I buy the ones at the deli counter (sometimes called 'sun-soaked' or 'semi-dried' tomatoes) that are bright red or orangey colour and are marinated in oil (rather than jarred sun-dried tomatoes, which are often a bit more brownish in colour). You can replace with the jar version if you like them more.
🔪 How to make this Ravioli Sauce
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.***
- We start by softening onions and garlic in a pan with a little oil. Then we add in the ravioli - so it can start to cook through right away. This means we don't need to boil the ravioli in a separate pan.
- Next in goes red pepper, herbs and seasoning, a little tomato puree and white wine.
- Allow the wine to bubble for a minute, then add in roasted tomatoes, chicken stock and cream. Now we bubble it all up for 5-6 minutes to cook that ravioli through.
- Finally we add in baby spinach and grated parmesan. Cook that for about a minute further, until the spinach wilts. Then serve it up with a sprinkling of parsely.
👩🍳PRO TIP You could serve this creamy tomato pasta sauce with regular store-bough pasta or this easy homemade pasta.
This recipe gives you enough sauce to coat the ravioli, with a little bit of sauce left at the bottom of the pan. If you like plenty of sauce, you can add in an extra splash of stock and cream.
🍽️ What to serve it with
Now the question is 'What's your favourite ravioli filling?' Mine's chicken and chorizo 😋
Also, should I post a recipe for homemade ravioli?
📺 Watch how to make it
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Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion - finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
- 500 g (1.1lb) fresh ravioli - (use your favourite flavour)
- 1 red bell pepper - sliced
- ½ tsp Italian herbs
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- a pinch salt
- 1 tbsp tomato puree (paste if you're in the US)
- 90 ml (⅓ cup) white wine
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) roasted cherry tomato halves - (you can buy these from the deli counter)
- 120 ml (½ cup) chicken stock
- 90 ml (⅓ cup) double (heavy) cream
- 90 g (3 packed cups) baby spinach
- 50 g (½ cup) parmesan - grated
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley - finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large frying pan (or skillet) and heat over a medium heat, then add in the finely diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds stirring continuously.
- Now add in the ravioli and the sliced red bell pepper and cook for another minute, stirring a few times.
- Add in the Italian herbs, chilli flakes, black pepper and a pinch of salt, give it a stir then add in the tomato puree and wine, stir again, and cook for another minute to reduce the wine down slightly.
- Add in the roasted tomatoes, chicken stock and cream. Stir everything together and bring up to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 5-6 minutes, until the centre of the ravioli is piping hot (you can open one up to check this).
- Add in the spinach and parmesan and cook for a minute to allow the cheese to melt and the spinach to wilt.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Video
✎ Notes
Nutrition
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Victor Miranda says
Amazing dish! I purchased a pasta maker and wanted a good recipe to test it out. I decided on this one. I made my ravioli from scratch and made my own slow roasted tomatoes. This dish is truly delicious. Has a perfectly balanced flavor profile. Will definitely make this dish again!
Michael Carr says
Superb and so easy to make, impossible to get wrong and better still so flexible.
William says
Absolutely fabulous !! So tasty and very easy to make !!
Would have paid for that in a restaurant. Cheers.
Ruth Writes says
Wow this sounds incredible, defo adding it to next week's meal plan! Ruth Writes ruthwrites.blog/
Brenda says
I actually got a thumbs up from the biggest food critic I have known! He is so picky and doesn’t like it when I try new recipes. Thanks so much because I can add ravioli to my menu!
Marjory says
I’m making this for the third time since it was posted. It’s delicious and so simple to make. I roasted my own tomatoes as I haven’t seen them in my local deli in Toronto🇨🇦. It’s a keeper. I’ve passed it on and it’s getting rave reviews
Simon Cryer says
Both g/f and son absolutely loved this. One of the most popular dishes I've made. Thank you!!
Michael Carr says
I made this meal whilst caravanning and the rating comes as much from my wife (fussy eater) as myself.
I backed off the quantity of chilly flakes a tad, for you know who, but other than that followed it to the letter and it was delicious.
Just back from a 2 week trip and guess what we are having tonight? Wine chilled just waiting for the sun to dip a bit.
Heather says
I used waitrose crayfish and prawn ravioli it was amazing
Gary Dunleavy says
Hi Nicky, just tried this recipe out and it tasted absolutely delicious, the tomato sauce made it restaurant quality.
Thank you
Tony Tatman says
Looks great- I'll try this at the end of the week/weekend.
If you can post a recipe for home made ravioli....