Ravioli with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce: a cozy home-cooked favorite with big flavor, practical prep, and servings worth fighting over—in a friendly way.
A Cozy Ravioli Dinner with Bright, Sun‑Dried Tomato Punch
Silky cheese ravioli meets a sweet-tart sun‑dried tomato cream that comes together fast but tastes like a slow Sunday supper.
This is the kind of weeknight dinner that arrives fully formed: pillowy cheese ravioli bathed in a glossy, tomato‑kissed cream that somehow manages to be both indulgent and unfussy. The concentrated sweetness of chopped sun‑dried tomatoes — plus the oil they came packed in — gives the sauce an instant depth, while Parmesan and a splash of vegetable broth keep it smooth and savory. It’s rich without being heavy, and the basil and spinach add a fresh lift so every bite finishes bright.
A few small tricks are what make the sauce sing. Warm the reserved sun‑dried tomato oil with olive oil and butter, sweat a shallot until it’s soft, then bring garlic and chopped tomatoes in to toast briefly for a toasty, caramelized edge. Heavy cream and a little veg broth loosen everything into a silky sauce; reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water gives you the magic emulsifier that helps the sauce cling to each ravioli instead of pooling on the plate.
This recipe is built for practicality: use fresh or frozen cheese ravioli, cook them just to al dente, and the sauce can be made a day ahead and gently reheated. When you toss the pasta with the sauce off the heat and fold in baby spinach and torn basil, the greens wilt just enough to keep the dish bright and slightly silky. Add a final grating of Parmesan and a crack of black pepper and you’re ready to serve.
It feeds a crowd (or guarantees second helpings), pairs beautifully with a simple green salad or crusty bread, and handles easy customizations — a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat or cooked chicken for heft. In short: quick to make, generous in flavor, and exactly the sort of cozy dinner people will argue over in the nicest way.
Ingredients
How to Make Ravioli with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil (use about 1 tbsp salt per 4–6 qts). Add the ravioli and cook according to package directions until just al dente; before draining, scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the ravioli and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, finely chop the shallot, mince the garlic, and roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes; grate the parmesan and roughly chop the basil.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil with the 2 tbsp reserved sun-dried tomato oil and the butter until the butter is melted and foaming.
- Add the shallot and sauté 2–3 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the vegetable broth to deglaze the pan and simmer 2 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer; cook 3–4 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the grated parmesan until melted and smooth; add the lemon juice, chopped basil (reserve a little for garnish), salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper if using. If the sauce is too thick, thin with up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, 1–2 tbsp at a time, until it reaches a creamy coating consistency.
- Return the drained ravioli to the skillet (or add the sauce to the pot of ravioli) with the baby spinach and gently toss over low heat 1–2 minutes so the spinach wilts and the ravioli are warmed through and evenly coated in sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, then divide among 6 plates and finish with extra grated parmesan and the reserved basil. Serve immediately.
Recipe Card
Ravioli with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Ravioli with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce: a cozy home-cooked favorite with big flavor, practical prep, and servings worth fighting over—in a friendly way.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil (use about 1 tbsp salt per 4–6 qts). Add the ravioli and cook according to package directions until just al dente; before draining, scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the ravioli and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, finely chop the shallot, mince the garlic, and roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes; grate the parmesan and roughly chop the basil.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil with the 2 tbsp reserved sun-dried tomato oil and the butter until the butter is melted and foaming.
- Add the shallot and sauté 2–3 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the vegetable broth to deglaze the pan and simmer 2 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer; cook 3–4 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the grated parmesan until melted and smooth; add the lemon juice, chopped basil (reserve a little for garnish), salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper if using. If the sauce is too thick, thin with up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, 1–2 tbsp at a time, until it reaches a creamy coating consistency.
- Return the drained ravioli to the skillet (or add the sauce to the pot of ravioli) with the baby spinach and gently toss over low heat 1–2 minutes so the spinach wilts and the ravioli are warmed through and evenly coated in sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, then divide among 6 plates and finish with extra grated parmesan and the reserved basil. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 45
- Saturated Fat
- 16
- Sodium
- 900
- Fiber
- 3
- Unsaturated Fat
- 22
- Protein
- 19
- Fat
- 38
- Cholesterol
- 90
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 605
- Sugar
- 6