Creamy Tuscan Ravioli

• Ready in around 25 minutes
• Uses easy store-bought ravioli
• Thick and creamy without being watery
• Plenty of garlic and Parmesan
• Sun-dried tomatoes add loads of flavour
• Spinach cooks right into the sauce
• Everything ends up coated rather than swimming in cream

 

Ingredients

For the Ravioli

• 500g fresh cheese ravioli
• Salt, for the pasta water

For the Creamy Tuscan Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 80g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 300ml double cream
• 100ml vegetable stock
• 75g freshly grated Parmesan
• 100g fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt, to taste

To Finish

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Extra grated Parmesan
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the Ravioli

Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle boil.

Add the ravioli and cook according to the packet instructions, usually around 3 to 5 minutes for fresh ravioli.

Don’t let the water go absolutely wild.

Ravioli is delicate, and a furious boil is how you end up with half the filling floating around the saucepan.

Before draining, scoop out about 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Drain the ravioli gently and set it aside.

2. Start the Sauce

Place a large deep frying pan or skillet over medium heat.

Add the butter and olive oil.

Once the butter has melted, add the garlic.

Cook for around 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

You don’t want the garlic brown.

3. Add the Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan.

Let them cook for around a minute.

Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and chilli flakes.

Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

This is where the sauce starts picking up that deep warm orange colour instead of staying pale cream.

4. Add the Cream

Pour in the double cream and vegetable stock.

Stir everything together and bring it to a low simmer.

Let the sauce gently bubble for 3 to 4 minutes.

It should already start thickening slightly.

Add the Parmesan a little at a time, stirring until smooth.

5. Add the Spinach

Add the baby spinach straight to the sauce.

Stir for about 1 to 2 minutes, until wilted.

It looks like loads when it first hits the pan and then, as usual, spinach disappears into almost nothing.

Season with black pepper.

Taste before adding salt because Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes already bring quite a bit.

6. Add the Ravioli

Carefully add the cooked ravioli to the skillet.

Use a large spoon or silicone spatula to gently fold everything together.

Try not to stir too hard because you want those ravioli staying whole and plump.

Let the ravioli simmer in the sauce for around 2 minutes.

If the sauce is getting too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.

You only need a little.

The sauce should remain thick enough to cling heavily to the ravioli.

7. Finish It

Take the pan off the heat.

Add chopped parsley and a little extra Parmesan.

Finish with freshly cracked black pepper.

Let the ravioli sit for a minute or two before serving.

The sauce thickens slightly as it rests, which is exactly what you want.

How to Get the Sauce Thick and Glossy

The biggest mistake with creamy pasta sauces is making them too watery.

You want this sauce thick enough that every ravioli is properly coated.

A few things help:

Let the cream reduce before adding the pasta.

Give it those few minutes of gentle simmering.

Use freshly grated Parmesan.

It melts much better and thickens the sauce nicely.

Don’t add too much stock.

You only need enough to loosen the cream slightly.

Use pasta water carefully.

Add it a tablespoon at a time.

Once the sauce gets too thin, you’re stuck waiting for it to reduce again.

Why Add Tomato Paste?

The tomato paste is doing more than adding tomato flavour.

It gives the sauce that rich orange colour and deeper savoury flavour.

Without it, the sauce tastes much closer to a plain garlic cream sauce.

A tablespoon is enough.

You don’t want this turning into marinara with cream dumped into it.

What Ravioli Works Best?

Cheese ravioli is perfect here.

Ricotta ravioli works especially well because the mild filling doesn’t compete with the sauce.

You can also use:

• Spinach and ricotta ravioli
• Four-cheese ravioli
• Mushroom ravioli
• Pumpkin ravioli

I’d avoid anything too strongly flavoured because the Tuscan sauce already has plenty going on.

Fresh or Frozen Ravioli?

Fresh ravioli is easiest because it cooks quickly and stays beautifully tender.

Frozen ravioli works too.

Just cook it according to the packet instructions before adding it to the sauce.

Don’t try to cook frozen ravioli directly in the cream sauce.

You’ll end up needing too much liquid and the sauce can get starchy and messy.

Can I Add Mushrooms?

Absolutely.

Mushrooms would be very good here.

Slice about 200g mushrooms and cook them in the butter and oil before adding the garlic.

Let them brown properly rather than just steaming them.

Then carry on with the recipe as written.

Can I Make It Spicier?

Yes.

Increase the chilli flakes to 1/2 teaspoon or add a pinch of cayenne.

The heat should sit in the background though.

You still want to taste the Parmesan, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.

What to Serve With Creamy Tuscan Ravioli

This is rich enough that you really don’t need much with it.

I’d go with something fresh or crunchy.

Good options are:

• Garlic bread
• Crusty bread
• Green salad
• Roasted broccoli
• Tenderstem broccoli
• Asparagus
• Green beans
• Rocket salad with lemon dressing

Storage

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The sauce will thicken a lot once chilled.

When reheating, add a small splash of cream, milk or stock.

Warm it slowly over low heat and turn the ravioli gently so they don’t split.

Q&A

Why did my cream sauce split?

The heat was probably too high.

Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer rather than letting it boil hard.

Once the Parmesan goes in, lower heat is especially important.

Why is my sauce too thin?

Let it simmer for another minute or two.

You can also add a little more Parmesan.

Can I use single cream?

You can, but the sauce will be thinner.

Let it reduce for longer before adding the ravioli.

Can I use milk?

I wouldn’t use plain milk by itself.

You’ll lose that thick, creamy texture.

If you absolutely need to lighten it, use half cream and half milk.

Can I use jarred Alfredo sauce?

Technically yes, but you’ll get a much better result making the sauce from scratch.

This one takes only a few extra minutes anyway.

Can I make the sauce ahead?

Yes.

Make it earlier in the day and store it covered in the fridge.

Warm it gently, add a splash of cream if needed, then fold in freshly cooked ravioli.

Final Thoughts

Creamy Tuscan Ravioli is ridiculously easy for something that looks like you spent far more time on it.

The ravioli stays soft and plump, the sun-dried tomatoes cut through all that creaminess, and the spinach gives you just enough greenery to pretend dinner is behaving itself.

And that sauce clinging to every piece of pasta?

That’s the part worth scraping the pan for.