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!
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.
Add the chicken broth in splashes, stirring continuously. Slowly stir in the half and half. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
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.
Add the ravioli and use a silicone spatula to gently stir until combined. Garnish with Parsley and red pepper flakes and serve!
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.
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
- Easy Lasagna Recipe
- Chicken Parmesan
- Stromboli
- Tomato Basil Pasta
- Minestrone Soup
- Swedish Meatballs
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Tried This Recipe?
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![Ravioli on a white plate with a creamy ravioli sauce on top.](https://thecozycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ravioli-Sauce-f-200x200.jpg)
Easy Ravioli Sauce
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.
This recipe is one of my kids top requests for dinner! It’s always a hit and it’s so quick and easy. The Rotel gives it the perfect kick. I omit the cream cheese at times if I don’t have any on hand and it’s just as good!
I’m so happy your kids are into this one Amy! I make this sauce a lot, with a variety of pasta. Thanks so much for the review!🩷
Excellent recipe , absolutely love it and the little kick!!! I used Rotel original NOT mild…perfect!!! Thanks!!!
I’m so happy to hear that you loved it Cheryl! I love using not mild Rotel as well! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!! 🙂 -Stephanie
Looks good , I’ll be making it tonight .thanks .
Thanks Andrea! Enjoy!🩷
Could you use fresh ravioli? I was thinking about making some for my husband cause he loves fresh pasta. And then I saw your recipe and the sauce sounds delicious. Have you tried it with fresh?
Fresh would be wonderful! Since this is just the sauce recipe you can definitely use any kind of pasta, and you can’t go wrong with fresh ravioli! 🙂
Can you freeze the sauce on its own no pasta added ?
Hi Stacey, yes you absolutely can! 🙂
I’ve made this recipe several times and never disappoints. Everyone who has tried has been in heaven!!!!
I am so happy to hear that Diana! Wonderful news, thank you so much for the review, I really appreciate it! 🙂 -Stephanie
Made tonight step-by-step, it is perfect! Red pepper is the perfect final touch. I actually forgot to add the parmesan until I was plating so I just sprinkled on top and it was totally fine. More than fine, it was delicious! Definitely one to save and make again.
Wonderful! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it Bella, that’s excellent! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie 💗
Just had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! My husband RAVED about it. I did add a couple splashes of hot sauce which he thought gave it the perfect zing. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome Susan! My husband likes a little heat too, I usually use some red pepper flakes. I’m so happy it was such a hit, thanks so much for the great comments!💖
I made this recipe last night for dinner and it was delicious. My boyfriend loved it and I followed the instructions step by step and the sauce turned out great. I would love to post a picture of the reci made last night if I could.
Hi Dae!! I am soooo happy that you loved the recipe- I appreciate the review so much!! I would love to see the pic, we can’t upload them to my site but you can always email it to me! 🙂 Have a wonderful day, thank you again!
Wow! This was absolutely fabulous! I was going to make a marinara sauce for the ravioli – saw this and changed my mind. I’m SO glad I did.
I’m so happy you found this one! I make it all the time. Thanks so much for the great comments!💕