Creamy Pesto Ravioli
I love a dinner that looks like you spent hours on it but actually came together in the time it takes to wash a few dishes. This Creamy Pesto Ravioli is exactly that kind of meal: comforting, bright, and forgiving. It’s a weeknight hero when you want something special without a lot of fuss.
The sauce is built right in the skillet — broth, pesto, cream, a little lemon — and it does the job of both flavoring and gently finishing refrigerated cheese ravioli. Toss in a handful of baby spinach near the end and you have color, texture, and an easy way to add a green. No need to boil a separate pot of pasta first.
This post gives you the exact ingredients and steps straight from the skillet, plus practical tips, swaps, and troubleshooting from my kitchen so your dinner comes out perfectly the first time. Read through the method, then jump to the sections you need: tools, storage, or serving ideas.
Ingredient Breakdown
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth — Adds savory depth and thins the sauce so it coats the ravioli without clumping; use chicken for richer flavor, vegetable to keep it vegetarian.
- 1/2 cup pesto — The flavor base; choose a basil pesto you like or a jarred favorite for convenience.
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream — Gives the sauce its silky, rich texture and helps tame the intensity of the pesto.
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice — A small brightener that lifts the sauce; add at the beginning to meld into the cream.
- 1 pound refrigerated cheese ravioli — The main event; refrigerated saves time and cooks gently in the sauce.
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach — Adds color, freshness, and a little bite; wilts quickly so add at the end.
- Salt & pepper — To taste; seasoning at the end lets you control how much salt the pesto and broth have already contributed.
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese — Optional, to taste; sprinkle at the end for nuttiness and a finish that looks and tastes like a restaurant touch.
The Method for Creamy Pesto Ravioli
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth, 1/2 cup pesto, 1 cup heavy/whipping cream, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Stir continuously until the ingredients are fully combined and the pesto has melted into the cream.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer (small bubbles around the edges), stirring occasionally.
- Once simmering, add 1 pound refrigerated cheese ravioli to the skillet and gently stir to coat the ravioli in the sauce and separate any pieces.
- Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Uncover and gently stir the ravioli. If the sauce is still too thin, continue cooking uncovered for another couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to your liking.
- Stir in 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach, then cover the skillet again and cook 1–2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve.
The Upside of Creamy Pesto Ravioli
This recipe is fast, flexible, and reliably delicious. Because the ravioli finish their cooking in the sauce, you cut out a separate pot of boiling water and a colander to drain — fewer steps, fewer dishes. The pesto-cream combo gives you a sauce that feels indulgent but stays bright thanks to the lemon and spinach.
It’s forgiving. If your pesto is saltier one week or your cream is a touch lighter, you can compensate with an extra splash of broth or a minute more of simmering. Ready-made refrigerated ravioli lets you dial flavor up or down: pick a ricotta herb ravioli for a gentle profile or a more assertive cheese for richness.
Finally, this dish scales well for two or four: the method stays the same, and the skillet does the work. It’s equally good for a quiet weeknight or when you want to impress without worrying about timing.
If You’re Out Of…
Out of pesto? Use a very thin smear of pesto to flavor the cream and bulk with fresh basil leaves torn and stirred in at the end, or use a tablespoon of basil purée if you have one. If you don’t have refrigerated ravioli, a package of tortellini (fresh or refrigerated) will behave similarly in the skillet.
No heavy cream? You can use half-and-half, but expect a slightly thinner sauce — simmer a little longer to reduce. No broth? Use water with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of olive oil to add a bit of fat and flavor. Short on spinach? Substitute baby arugula or chopped kale, but add kale a touch earlier so it softens.
Prep & Cook Tools
- Large skillet with lid — A wide skillet gives the ravioli room and the lid traps steam to finish cooking.
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula — For gentle stirring that won’t tear delicate ravioli.
- Measuring cups and spoons — To keep the sauce balanced (1/2 cup, 1 cup, 1 teaspoon).
- Fine grater — For freshly grated parmesan if you’re using it.
- Serving spoon or slotted spoon — To plate the ravioli without too much excess sauce if you prefer.
Troubles You Can Avoid
Ravioli tearing: stir gently and avoid aggressive scraping when the ravioli are cooking. They’re delicate, especially refrigerated ones that expand when warmed. If they stick, lower the heat and add a splash more broth.
Too thin sauce: simmer uncovered a couple of minutes after removing the lid and stir gently; cream thickens as water evaporates. If you need instant thickness, stir in a small handful of grated parmesan — it will melt and thicken the sauce slightly.
Sauce too salty: taste your pesto first. If it’s very salty, use vegetable broth or water and increase cream slightly, or add a squeeze more lemon to brighten and distract from saltiness. You can also add a handful of spinach earlier to absorb some salt without changing the character.
Dietary Swaps & Alternatives
Dairy-free: replace heavy cream with a full-fat coconut milk or a commercial plant-based cream alternative and use a dairy-free pesto (some store-bought pestos contain parmesan). Choose a dairy-free ravioli filling (tofu or vegetable) or use a vegan tortellini.
Lower fat: swap half the cream for milk or unsweetened soy milk and finish by simmering a bit longer to reduce. Use vegetable broth rather than chicken broth to further lighten the profile.
Protein boost: toss in cooked, shredded chicken or pan-seared salmon before adding the spinach. If adding cooked meat, fold it in when you stir the ravioli so it warms without overcooking.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
I tested this using both chicken and vegetable broth; vegetable keeps it vegetarian and slightly brighter, while chicken broth gave a richer background. The lemon juice is small but critical — it keeps the pesto from tasting flat once it mixes with cream.
Timing: 5 minutes covered, plus a couple of minutes uncovered to thicken, was perfect for the refrigerated cheese ravioli I used. If your ravioli package has different instructions, check one piece before you remove the lid — it should be tender but not falling apart.
Texture: if you like more sauce cling, reduce the sauce a bit longer before adding the ravioli. If you prefer saucier, reduce the simmer time and reserve a splash of broth to loosen when plating.
Refrigerate, Freeze, Reheat
Refrigerate: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools; add a splash of water or broth when reheating.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the finished dish — dairy sauces and filled ravioli don’t always reheat with the same texture. If you must, freeze in a shallow container for up to 1 month and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently.
Reheat: warm gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of broth or water, stirring carefully until just heated through. Microwaving works in a pinch; use medium power and stir every 30–45 seconds to prevent hot spots and keep the ravioli intact.
Questions People Ask
Can I use frozen ravioli? Yes — add a few minutes to the covered cooking time and make sure they’re separated when you add them to the sauce so they don’t stick together.
Do I need to pre-cook the ravioli? No. These refrigerated cheese ravioli finish cooking in the sauce as instructed. If you’re using a brand that recommends boiling first, follow the package directions and then toss in the sauce to finish.
How do I make it less rich? Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, increase broth slightly, and simmer a little longer to reduce water content rather than relying on cream for body.
Bring It to the Table
Serve this straight from the skillet for casual dinners. Finish plates with a quick grate of parmesan, an extra drizzle of olive oil, or a lemon wedge on the side. A simple green salad and a crusty loaf round out the meal without stealing the show.
For a touch of brightness at the table, offer crushed red pepper or toasted pine nuts for texture. This dish pairs well with a crisp white wine or a light-bodied red if you want to keep things homey.
Put out small tongs and a spoon so people can get ravioli and sauce in one go. It’s warm, vibrant, and just the kind of straightforward comfort food that becomes a regular in the rotation.
Creamy Pesto Ravioli
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1/2 cupchicken or vegetable brothsee note
- 1/2 cuppesto
- 1 cupheavy/whipping cream
- 1 teaspoonlemon juicesee note
- 1 poundrefrigerated cheese ravioli
- 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepperto taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheeseoptional to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth, 1/2 cup pesto, 1 cup heavy/whipping cream, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Stir continuously until the ingredients are fully combined and the pesto has melted into the cream.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer (small bubbles around the edges), stirring occasionally.
- Once simmering, add 1 pound refrigerated cheese ravioli to the skillet and gently stir to coat the ravioli in the sauce and separate any pieces.
- Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Uncover and gently stir the ravioli. If the sauce is still too thin, continue cooking uncovered for another couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to your liking.
- Stir in 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach, then cover the skillet again and cook 1–2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve.
Equipment
- Skillet
Notes
A few notes on the pesto:Use low sodium broth if you don’t like your food too salty. Some brands of pesto can be quite salty.Some brands of pesto can be quite lemony, so if that’s the case with yours, you may want to skip the lemon juice.DeLallo is my favorite brand of pesto.
Use low sodium broth if you don’t like your food too salty. Some brands of pesto can be quite salty.
Some brands of pesto can be quite lemony, so if that’s the case with yours, you may want to skip the lemon juice.
DeLallo is my favorite brand of pesto.
