Four Cheese Ravioli with Marinara & Pesto Cream

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Store-bought cheese ravioli gets the trattoria treatment: a bright 20-minute marinara spooned underneath, then a swirl of silky basil pesto cream on top. Two sauces, one pan each, and the whole thing lands on the table in half an hour — the payoff is a plate that looks like a $20 entree and tastes like the sauce actually mattered.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled San Marzano-style tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar (optional, if tomatoes are sharp)
• 3 sprig fresh basil, plus torn leaves for serving

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup basil pesto, store-bought or homemade
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 20 oz refrigerated four-cheese ravioli (two 9–10 oz packages)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, for the pasta water
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, for serving
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Start the marinara. Warm the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook gently, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the garlic is fragrant and barely golden at the edges — do not let it brown or the sauce turns bitter.
2. Crush the tomatoes by hand directly into the pan (or pulse briefly in the can with an immersion blender for a smoother sauce). Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the basil sprigs. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a simmer.
3. Simmer the marinara uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon and the oil turns orange around the edges. Taste: add the 1/2 teaspoon sugar only if it tastes sharp, then adjust salt. Fish out the basil sprigs and keep warm over low heat.
4. While the marinara simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
5. Make the pesto cream. Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook 2 minutes until soft but not colored. Pour in the heavy cream and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, until it reduces slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Pull the skillet off the heat and whisk in the pesto and 1/4 cup Parmesan — adding pesto off the heat keeps the basil green and stops the sauce from breaking. Season with black pepper and the lemon juice. It should be pourable but cling to a spoon; if it tightens up, loosen with a splash of pasta water.
7. Cook the ravioli in the boiling water at a gentle boil (a hard boil tears them) for 4 to 6 minutes, or per the package, until they float and the edges are tender. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then lift the ravioli out with a spider or slotted spoon and drain briefly.
8. Add the drained ravioli to the pesto cream skillet with 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Set over low heat and turn gently with a rubber spatula for about 1 minute, until every ravioli is glossy and coated.
9. Spoon a pool of hot marinara onto each of 4 warm plates or shallow bowls. Nest the pesto-cream ravioli on top so both sauces show. Finish with grated Parmesan, torn basil, pine nuts if using, and a thread of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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