5 Minute Ravioli Sauce

Name: 5 Minute Ravioli Sauce
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto (I used Scala brand or Delallo in the US ); 1 clove garlic (minced); 3-4 fresh basil leaves (sliced ); 125ml/1/2 cup light/single cream; 125ml/1/2cup reserved pasta water; salt to taste; pepper to taste; Parmesan cheese to serve

This 5 minute and 4 ingredient ravioli sauce will make you believe you are eating out in the best of restaurants. Creamy sauce flavoured with sun-dried tomato pesto, garlic and basil comes together in a flash!

If you are looking for an even easier recipe, check out my basic pasta cream sauce.

If you are anything like me, you rely on quick and filling pasta dishes on busy weeknights. They are delicious, always popular with kids and adults alike. They are also economical.

Filled pasta like ravioli and tortellini is even better since they are packed with flavour. Still it’s nice to have a sauce to smother over, especially when it snowing or raining outside.

What kind of sauce goes with ravioli?

It really depends on your personal preference as well as the stuffing inside your ravioli.

For cheese stuffed ravioli like spinach and ricotta, that happens to be my son’s favourite, I go for a simple cream sauce. 3 ingredients and everyone is thrilled with the result.

For meat stuffed ravioli, like bolognese ravioli, I usually make a quick tomato and basil sauce. Even cheaper and healthier.

But what about those times when you can’t decide and you want both. You want it creamy but not bland. You want a nice tomato, basil and garlic sauce but you still want it to be smooth and luxurious!

For those times I developed my favourite ravioli sauce. It combines the best of two worlds.

How do you make 5 minute ravioli sauce?

As you might’ve guessed this sauce combines two classic sauces. Cream sauce and tomato sauce.

But to intensify the flavour even more, instead of using regular diced tomatoes I opted for a few tablespoons of sun-dried tomato pesto.

The beauty of this sauce is in its creamy yet slightly tangy flavour, perked up by a touch of garlic and fresh basil.

What is even more enticing about this sauce is how quick it is to make! No longer than 5 minutes. Just how long you need to cook your fresh ravioli. Winner.

It is, of course suitable for any kind of filled pasta like tortellini, tortelloni, mezzelune, etc.

Suitable substitutions for the 5 minute ravioli sauce recipe

You can use plain tomato paste or sun-dried tomato paste instead of sun-dried tomato pesto.
Dried basil can be used in place of fresh basil
I’ve used light/single cream but you can successfully use heavy cream, creme fraiche or even Greek yogurt. If using creme fraiche or Greek yogurt, make sure to add them over very low heat to prevent the dairy from splitting.

How do I serve my ravioli restaurant style?

You can always dress up your plate a little not only to increase the visual appeal but also to intensify the taste and flavour.

You can do something very simple like grating fresh Parmesan cheese and adding fresh basil to each bowl of ravioli with some black pepper.

Or you can add a sprinkling of herb and garlic breadcrumbs, which elevate this dish to another level. Who doesn’t love breadcrumbs in general but in this case, they add more flavour and texture!

More quick pasta recipes: