Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Like a marriage of Alfredo sauce and marinara, this sauce is velvety smooth, and equal parts tangy and creamy. It’s garlicky, herby, and the ideal blanket for tender cheese ravioli. And wait until you see how easy it is to make.
This creamy tomato sauce is super easy. Here’s the simple process: Melt butter. Add garlic, dried basil, oregano, and mustard powder. Add tomato sauce, broth, and cream. Simmer. Toss with cooked ravioli. Serve. Perfect for a busy night. Plus, you can’t find a simpler, gourmet-style sauce for pasta.
I added broth and mustard powder for a reason. First, the broth thins out the sauce just enough to create a balance between the tomato sauce and cream. For a vegetarian meal, use vegetable broth. If you don’t have broth, you can use the water used to cook the ravioli, or even plain water. The broth/water thin out the sauce so it’s not too thick – you want the sauce to coat the ravioli easily, not become “too thick” to be satiny. Broth adds a little flavor (versus water), but both work fine.
I added mustard powder because it brings out the flavor of the cheese. It’s actually not detected in the sauce. Adding dried mustard powder to dishes with cheese is a chef/culinary trick that truly works.
Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 to 20 ounces ravioli of choice, refrigerated, frozen, or shelf-stable
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard/mustard powder
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley for serving, optional
- Crushed red pepper flakes for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, and mustard and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the tomato sauce and broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream. Cook for 1 minute. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper.
- Fold the ravioli into the sauce and cook for 1 minute to heat through.
- Transfer the ravioli to shallow bowls and top with parmesan cheese, basil or parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using).