Ravioli with Easy Tomato Cream Sauce
This one pan meal features ravioli in a creamy, garlicky sauce that’s studded with chewy-sweet sun-dried tomatoes. And the ravioli cooks in the sauce, so it absorbs deep, rich flavor from the very beginning.
Just look at the dreamy color of the sauce. That’s from the sun-dried tomatoes; they truly change the game. They start off dried and chewy, and soften in the herby sauce. As they soften, they infuse the sauce with that wonderful tangy-sweet tomato flavor.
I used ravioli, but you can make this dish with tortellini instead. I like cheesy pockets of pasta with this sauce, but regular pasta works too! If you’re using regular pasta, I suggest shapes like rigatoni, penne, shells, and elbows so the sauce can cling to the inside and out.
You can also make this dish with meat-filled ravioli. This sauce is equally amazing with beefy ravioli! And remember, the pasta cooks in the sauce, so there’s flavor infusion all the way through to the middle of the ravioli!
Although this is a cream sauce, there isn’t much cream needed. You need just 1/4 cup of cream for this sauce; which is just enough to add creaminess and a silky quality, but not enough to create a heavy sauce. If desired, you can lighten things up by using half-and-half or 2% milk.
For a spicier sauce, add more red pepper flakes or serve extra on the side. You can also make this dish completely mild and leave the red pepper flakes out.
If you can’t find sun-dried tomatoes that aren’t packed in oil, don’t fret. You can use the oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, just drain them first so the cream sauce isn’t oily.
Ravioli with Easy Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more/less to taste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup white wine, or more broth
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, preferably not oil-packed, thinly sliced (use kitchen scissors for easy cutting!)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 20 ounces refrigerated ravioli
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
- Fresh parsley leaves for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and toss to coat.
- Add the broth, wine (or more broth), sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Add the ravioli and return to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the ravioli is tender and hot in the middle. Fold in the cream and cook for 1 minute to heat through.
- Top with parmesan cheese and parsley (if using) and serve.