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Pillow-y ravioli with the dreamiest, most velvety sun dried tomato cream sauce! A 30-minute weeknight dinner yet fancy enough for company!
why i love this recipe
- Creamy saucy goodness. This is just one of those heavenly sun dried tomato cream sauces you’ll want mopped up completely with all the ravioli and crusty bread, not letting a single drop go to waste. It’s just that good.
- Weeknight hero yet fancy enough for weekend company. We’re talking 30 minute dinner here, start to finish, making it both weeknight and company worthy.
- Flexible recipe. This ravioli dinner is incredibly flexible and forgiving – using up what you have on hand, whether it’s swapping out the ravioli for a different pasta, or adding in leftover rotisserie chicken or any lingering veggies such as baby spinach or kale for those picky eaters.
what is a sun dried tomato cream sauce?
A sun dried tomato cream sauce is an Italian-inspired sauce made from garlic, sun dried tomatoes, various seasonings, heavy cream and Parmesan, yielding a rich, flavorful sauce that can be combined with pasta, chicken, seafood or even vegetables.
how to make ravioli with sun dried tomato cream sauce
- Cook the ravioli, keeping a close eye as fresh ravioli cooks very quickly
- Sauté the aromatics in melted butter, adding in garlic, shallot, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (if using) until fragrant
- Whisk in the flour (sauce will start to thicken here)
- Deglaze the skillet with a little bit of wine, scraping up all the caramelized brown bits for maximum flavor
- Stir in the liquids to keep everyone happy, along with julienned sun dried tomatoes
- Summer, simmer, simmer
- Stir in Parmesan until creamy goodness has been achieved, adding in the cooked ravioli until heated through
the secret ingredient
Tomato paste adds so much flavor.
Tomato paste is a key ingredient in this sun dried tomato cream sauce, adding body, richness and bigger, brighter tomato flavor in small amounts without adding too much liquid to the sauce. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
tips and tricks for success
- Add desired protein. Crumbled Italian sausage (sweet or spicy) or ground beef, chicken or turkey will all work very well here.
- Add a kick of heat (or not). For more of a spicy kick, increase the amount of crushed red pepper flakes. For milder flavors, especially for the little ones, skip the red pepper flakes altogether.
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your sauce. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Mix it up. Swap out the ravioli for mini ravioli, agnolotti or tortellini.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
what to serve with ravioli
Ravioli with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce: Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using refrigerated fresh cheese ravioli (neutral base) for convenience and quick cooking.
Absolutely! Sweet or spicy Italian sausage are both great options. Ground beef, chicken or turkey also works beautifully here.
Additional chicken stock can be used for white wine as a non-alcoholic substitute.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
We do not recommend freezing the sun dried tomato cream sauce as cream sauces tend to separate when frozen and thawed.
- 2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated ravioli
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- â…“ cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup julienned sundried tomatoes, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
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In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook ravioli according to package instructions; drain well.
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Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2 minutes.
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Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
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Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
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Stir in chicken stock, heavy cream and sun dried tomatoes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced and flavors have blended, about 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan.
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Stir in ravioli until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
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Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.