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This rich and creamy ravioli sauce will take your ravioli to the next level of deliciousness. The irresistible blend of simmered tomatoes and cream will complement any pasta!
Featured with this recipe
Sure, you can top ravioli with just about any pasta sauce, but this specific combination of tomatoes, cream, and cheese is perfect for these cheesy pasta pockets. Because ravioli is a filled pasta, it already has a lot of flavor. You want to be sure the sauce complements the ravioli and doesn’t overpower it. That’s why this recipe is the perfect choice.
What’s In A Classic Ravioli Sauce?
Ravioli sauce is typically a red sauce such as a traditional spaghetti or pomodoro sauce (Italian tomato sauce) with added cream and parmesan. The ingredients are few and simple, which makes this the perfect recipe. Here’s what you need:
- San Marzano Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Heavy cream
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Fresh basil
- Salt and Pepper
Serving the Sauce
Once your sauce is made, you can either serve it over top of the ravioli or you can add the ravioli to the sauce until it is fully coated before serving. Personally, I like to serve the ravioli covered in sauce. It makes it so each individual ravioli has a nice flavorful coating and it helps the ravioli so it doesn’t dry out as quickly.
More Ravioli Sauce Recipes
Of course, this isn’t the one and only sauce that works for ravioli. You can serve it plain with a little butter or olive oil, basil, and cracked pepper or just about any pasta sauce will work great! Brown butter sauces are a popular choice for ravioli with a sweet filling like butternut squash or pumpkin. Fresh basil Pesto is always a solid choice and adds a bright, fresh flavor. You can also go traditional with spaghetti sauce (with or without meat) or an authentic Italian pomodoro sauce. Or try it with my kids’ favorite, a classic Alfredo sauce!
The BEST Homemade Ravioli Recipe:
Looking for the perfect classic cheese ravioli to serve with your ravioli sauce? Look no further! Our Homemade Ravioli with Four Cheese Filling is bursting with cheesy flavor. Add chicken, lobster, sautéed mushrooms, beef, or spinach to the ravioli pockets for more variety. The sky’s the limit!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in a pan on the stovetop until heated through. If the sauce is too dry, you can add some pasta water or chicken broth to thin. You can also reheat in the microwave in a glass dish, heating 30 seconds at a time, stirring each interval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ravioli can be served with salad, soup, breadsticks, or garlic bread.
Ravioli can be made and eaten with or without sauce. For us, we definitely prefer a rich, complementary sauce!
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More Authentic Italian Recipes
Ravioli Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano Tomatoes (whole or crushed)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (or more to taste)
- 1 cup heavy cream (or to taste)
- 5 leaves fresh basil
- 1 cup parmigiano reggiano (or to taste)
- sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and sauté until garlic becomes lightly golden and fragrant. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer for at least 10 minutes. The longer you simmer, the better it will taste. If using whole tomatoes, use a potato masher to crush tomatoes until smooth. Add sea salt to taste until the bright acidity from the tomatoes becomes savory.
- Pour in cream and stir until heated through.
- Add parmigiano reggiano and salt and pepper.
- Remove from heat and add basil, stirring until well combined.
- Serve by spooning the sauce over cooked ravioli
- OR add fresh cooked ravioli to the skillet and serve covered with sauce.
Notes
- The longer you can simmer the tomatoes, the better. You want it to be a nice, deep red color before adding the cream.
- Season with salt to your liking and season at all stages. Add just a little bit and taste until you get that perfect, rich flavor without the acidic overtones.
- Heavy cream is the best to use, not half and half or milk as these tend to curdle in this kind of sauce.
The San Marzano Tomatoes in this recipe are amazing! This turned out to be such an easy dinner and everyone love loved it!
This creamy sauce takes homemade ravioli to the next level! It was so quick and easy to make too. The perfect “fancy” meal when you’re short on time!