Sun Dried Tomato Ravioli Sauce with Cheese Ravioli

This 15-minute sun-dried tomato ravioli sauce is the easiest way to dress up store bought cheese ravioli with a handful of simple ingredients. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight but elegant enough for date night! It’s a hearty vegetarian meal that your whole family will love!

You Will Love This

• It’s quick and easy! Do you have 15 minutes to make dinner?! That’s all it takes.
• It’s made with simple ingredients but loaded with flavor! You will recognize every ingredient on this short and sweet list and each of them adds a unique and delicious flavor.
• You can use this ravioli sauce with any of your favorite pastas – not just ravioli! Feel free to serve it with penne, rigatoni, or fusilli.
• If you loved this recipe, be sure to check out my:
  • 20 Minute Baked Ravioli Casserole
  • Easiest Lobster Ravioli
  • Cheese Tortellini with Garlic White Wine Sauce

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Oil – I like to use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes but you could also use olive oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil. You could also melt unsalted butter in place of the oil as well.
• Fresh Garlic – I prefer freshly sliced garlic, but if you don’t have fresh, minced garlic in a jar will work as well. You could also sub about 3/4 a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Dried Herbs – Dried oregano is the primary spice for this recipe, but feel free to use Italian seasoning, or add in dried sage, dried thyme, or dried rosemary.
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes – For this recipe, make sure to get the oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes so you can use the oil to cook the garlic and herbs.
• Heavy Cream – Heavy cream gives this ravioli sauce the best texture and flavor. You can sub with half and half but the sauce will be a bit thinner.
• Refrigerated Ravioli – Use your favorite store bought refrigerated ravioli for this recipe. The best thing about fresh ravioli is that it cooks in just a few minutes so it’s perfect for a busy weeknight. 
• Pasta Water – Don’t forget to save some pasta water to dress the pasta! This salty, starchy liquid will help the sauce cling to ravioli and give it a beautiful sheen. If you forget to save the pasta water – it happens! – use chicken stock or veggie stock in its place.
• Fresh Spinach – Fresh spinach is one of the easiest ways to sneak more veggies into your favorite pasta dishes. It wilts into the sauce beautifully and I love the fresh flavor that it adds. You could sub with fresh chopped kale or your favorite dark leafy green.
• Balsamic Vinegar – This is our family’s favorite balsamic vinegar. The acid from the balsamic vinegar really balances out the creaminess of the dish and boosts the overall flavor of the sauce. You could sub with white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or even a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Just remember that a little goes a long way!
• Fresh Herbs – I love the addition of fresh basil but chopped parsley will be delicious too!
• Parmesan Cheese – Shaved Parmesan cheese is always my favorite way to finish a pasta dish. Feel free to use shredded or grated as well.

Instructions

Boil pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and toss in olive oil. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, oregano, and sun-dried tomatoes along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook for about a minute, stirring frequently.

Remove pan from heat and stir in heavy cream.

Cook for about a minute.

Then add spinach and 1/4 cup of pasta water.

Cook over medium-low heat until the spinach wilts. 

Add ravioli.

Toss to coat evenly.

Stir in balsamic vinegar and season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper. Add more pasta water if needed. Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan.

Tips

• Salt your pasta water moderately! Add 2-3 tablespoons of Kosher salt to your large pot of boiling water just before adding the ravioli. Salted water is the first chance you have to season the pasta and it will go a long way in boosting the overall flavor of the dish.
• Don’t forget to save the sun-dried tomato oil! It adds so much delicious flavor to the sauce and is a great way to repurpose something that might otherwise be thrown away.
• You can really use any type of pasta in this recipe. I love cheese-filled ravioli but you could also use rotini, penne, fusilli, or rigatoni!

Variations

Feel free to use this recipe as a blueprint and make it your own by switching up the ingredients. Some of our family’s favorite variations include:

• sliced mushrooms
• red pepper flakes
• sauteed shrimp
• sauteed butternut squash or pumpkin
• grape tomatoes
• chopped kale

FAQ

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: This sauce is the perfect make-ahead recipe! You can make it in the morning and then pop it in the fridge until you’re ready for dinner. Boil the ravioli and reheat the sauce and dinner is done!
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Reheating: Reheat leftovers in a saucepan on the stove over medium, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You can also zap leftovers in the microwave in 30-60 second increments until heated through. Be sure to season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

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