The Cozy Cook

Book cover graphicThe Cozy Cookbook is here! Order Now!

Easy Ravioli Sauce

This easy ravioli sauce is so easy to make with refrigerated or frozen ravioli. It has a thick and flavorful cream sauce with a hint of tomato flavor, simple seasonings, and fresh or canned diced tomatoes. Your family will love this 30-minute meal.

Be sure to serve this with a side of my Garlic Bread with Cheese!

A white plate with Ravioli in a tomato cream sauce with tomatoes.

Easy Ravioli Sauce

Nothing beats a gourmet-style ravioli sauce that you can have on the dinner table in 30 minutes flat. 

The 4-cheese ravioli that I use for this recipe is filled with a combination of ricotta, Romano, mozzarella, and gorgonzola. So I chose to use cream cheese and Parmesan cheese in the sauce- because that gives us a 6-cheese combination!

SIX! CHEESES! 🤯

Scroll down to see how to make it, read through my PRO tips, storage information, and more.

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Melt the butter in a large high-walled skillet and add minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomato paste, onion powder, basil, oregano, and mustard powder. Stir to combine.

Making a roux and adding tomato paste and seasonings for ravioli sauce.

Add the chicken broth in splashes, stirring continuously. Slowly stir in the half and half. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

Adding chicken broth and cream to tomato paste and seasonings to make Ravioli Sauce.

Stir in the softened cream cheese and drained diced tomatoes. (Optional, reserve some of the tomato juice in case you’d like to thin the sauce out at the end.) Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain. Reduce heat to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Adding cream cheese, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese to Ravioli Sauce.

 Add the ravioli and use a silicone spatula to gently stir until combined. Garnish with Parsley and red pepper flakes and serve!

Adding Ravioli to a creamy tomato sauce and stirring to combine.

Pro Tips

  • Freshly diced Roma tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes can be used instead of Rotel if preferred.
  • A teaspoon of hot sauce makes a nice addition to the sauce and won’t make it too spicy.
  • Optional additions include: Fresh spinach or fresh basil.
  • I use Rana refrigerated 4-cheese Ravioli with this recipe.
  • To soften the cream cheese quickly: Heat 2 cups of water in the microwave. Place 3 Tbsp. cream cheese in the microwave and close the door. Let it soften for 5 minutes.
  • Grate the Parmesan cheese from a block, it will melt and taste much better than packaged grated cheese.
  • 20 oz. tortellini can be used in this recipe as well. (Or try my easy Tortellini Sauce recipe!)
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 144!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  • While you can freeze leftovers, ravioli doesn’t hold up quite as well after being frozen and reheated.

A pot of Ravioli in a cream sauce with tomatoes.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • This is the Le Creuset skillet I used in this recipe, (and in 90% of my recipes). It’s pricey, but it conducts heat really well and is oven safe. The size is perfect and the quality is great.
  • Pasta Strainer– This is the one I have and love.
  • Box Cheese Grater– Always shred cheese from a block, it melts and tastes much better. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose which prevents it from melting as well.
  • Silicone Spatula– I use these every time I cook. It makes it easy to carefully toss the ravioli into the sauce.

Try These Next

Get My Free Meal Plan

I’ve got a Free Meal Plan with 7 of my super popular recipes (complete with grocery list)! Sign up for my email list and I’ll send it over now along with weekly dinner recipes!

And follow me on FacebookInstagram, and Pinterest!

Tried This Recipe?

Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ravioli on a white plate with a creamy ravioli sauce on top.

Easy Ravioli Sauce

4.98 from 217 ratings
This easy ravioli sauce is so easy to make with refrigerated or frozen ravioli. It has a thick and flavorful cream sauce with a hint of tomato flavor, simple seasonings, and fresh or canned diced tomatoes.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons salted butter, I use Land O' Lakes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano, mustard powder
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 1 ½ cups half and half, half light cream/half milk
  • 10 oz. Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, juices reserved
  • 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 20 oz. refrigerated ravioli
  • 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes, optional

Instructions

  • Prep Work: Measure out all ingredients prior to beginning.
  • Melt the butter in a large high-walled skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the flour and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomato paste, onion powder, basil, oregano, and mustard powder. Stir to combine.
  • Add the chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously. Add the half and half in the same manner. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
  • Add the softened cream cheese and drained diced tomatoes. (Pro Tip: Reserve the tomato juice in case you’d like to thin the sauce out at the end.)
  • Cook the ravioli according to package instructions, drain.
  • Reduce heat of the sauce to low. Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and stir until combined. Add the red pepper flakes, if using.
  • Add the ravioli and use a silicone spatula to gently stir until combined. Add any of the reserved tomato juice if desired. Serve!

Notes

  • Freshly diced Roma tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes can be used instead of Rotel if preferred.
  • A teaspoon of hot sauce makes a nice addition to the sauce and won’t make it too spicy.
  • Optional additions include: Fresh spinach or fresh basil.
  • I use Rana refrigerated 4-cheese Ravioli with this recipe.
  • To soften the cream cheese quickly: Heat 2 cups of water in the microwave. Place 3 Tbsp. cream cheese in the microwave and close the door. Let it soften for 5 minutes.
  • Grate the Parmesan cheese from a block, it will melt and taste much better than packaged grated cheese.
  • 20 oz. tortellini can be used in this recipe as well.
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 144!

Storage: 
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  • While you can freeze leftovers, ravioli doesn't hold up quite as well after being frozen and reheated.

Nutrition

Calories: 513kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 904mg, Potassium: 244mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 627IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 177mg, Iron: 11mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!

Order The Cozy Cookbook!

Easy Recipes. Extra Comfort.

Order your copy today!

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Click the Stars to Rate This Recipe




518 comments on “Easy Ravioli Sauce”

  1. Wow, it’s really good, really easy to make and fast. I love it 

  2. I am normally not a big ravioli fan. I have a fresh kind (can’t remember the brand) I love and tried it with this recipe. It was GREAT!! So easy. I will definitely make again!

  3. Want to make this like NOW lol I have everything on hand except the half and half and I don’t have milk. How do I substitute or compensate for not having that???? Help!

    • Hi there! If you don’t have half and half or milk I’m not sure how to help you unless you tell me what you do have. This is a cream sauce so we need some sort of dairy! Do you have heavy cream?

  4. delish. enjoyed so much

  5. This was so easy to make and soooo good I literally ate two servings! Sauce turned out perfect and creamy. I used the ravioli with Italian sausage filling which was delicious and I’ll definitely try other ones next time like the spinach and ricotta, yum! Thank you for this recipe!

  6. Just made this and it was amazing!! Super easy to make too! We have yet to find a meal she makes that we don’t like!! 

  7. You did it again, Steph! This was delicious!! Only had enough leftover for a little snack the next day….. But I’ll be honest, my hesitation to try this recipe was the Rotel, and I didn’t think the sauce would be thick enough (that it would be a ‘mute tasting’ sauce).
    BUT I WAS WRONG! But you ALWAYS create a masterpiece, so I tried it, and it did not disappoint! Sauce was perfectly thick and tasty. and the Rotel surprisely (to me) gave a great kick of taste! Definitely worth a try, especially for being a simple recipe! (Always a plus! 😉)

    ***My only suggestion for the readers, USE QUALITY RAVIOLI!! Stephanie, suggested refrigerated ravioli, so I did. I have used frozen cheaper ravioli in the past, on other recipes, and it really took away from the taste of the ravioli. So I recommend spending a few dollars extra on quality ravioli!
    Great recipe Stephanie!
    Thanks for sharing! ❤️😋

    • I’m so happy you enjoyed this so much Jamie!❤️ I totally agree, quality Ravioli makes a big difference. Thanks so much for providing great feedback and taking the time to leave a review!

  8. My family loves this recipe it’s so creamy, especially Me since it’s not your basic Italian red sauce. I did fill like it needed a little salt so I used some garlic salt other wise I followed the recipe as written added a Cesar salad and we were happy campers, This recipe will definitely be in our meal rotation. Thank you so much for this recipe

    • Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and leave a review Theresa! Sounds like you and the family had a great meal. I love hearing that!❤️ P.S. You just made me want a Caesar Salad!

  9. I am going to try it tonight !
    Not sure what’s half and half ?

  10. Everyone cleaned their plate! I added some hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and some garden fresh basil. Was hoping for leftovers but the family ate it all. Thanks for the recipe!

As Seen On…