This five-ingredient ravioli and pesto recipe takes only 20 minutes to make, including prep time!
Pesto Ravioli
Ravioli and pesto are a delightful combination and made even easier when you buy these two ingredients already made. All you have to do is boil the ravioli (like most stuffed pastas, the boiling time is only a few minutes), dump the ravioli and pesto in a skillet and doctor it up with chopped tomatoes and wilted spinach.
There’s a reason why ravioli is a popular weeknight recipe and why we developed this list of 20 easy and delicious ravioli recipes. This is a great dish to bring to a gathering or prepare for dinner guests. They’ll never believe you made this and might even feel transported to an Italian bistro!
Ingredients for Pesto Ravioli
- Ravioli: Sold as either frozen or fresh, buying pre-made ravioli saves a lot of hours in prep time because you don’t have to make the pasta from scratch. We recommend cheese-filled ravioli for this recipe.
- Olive Oil: Any olive oil will work in this recipe—it doesn’t have to be extra virgin and can hail from any country.
- Baby Spinach: Sold in the salad greens section in a grocery store produce department, baby spinach leaves are sweeter and more tender than larger spinach leaves.
- Prepared Pesto: At the grocery store, pesto is either found non-perishable in a jar alongside the tomato and pasta sauces or in a plastic tub next to other refrigerated items.
- Tomatoes: Plum tomatoes are recommended for this recipe and easy to find. The reason why this tomato variety works best is because it’s dense and lacks excess water content, helping to make the sauce paste-like and thick.
- Shredded Parmesan: This shredded and aged Italian cheese tops the pesto ravioli, to taste.
- Crushed Red Pepper: Crushed red pepper flakes—great for those who want a little bit of “heat”—are sold in the spice aisle at your local market.
Directions
Step 1: Boil the water and cook ravioli.
Fill a saucepan 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil. Empty the ravioli into the boiling water. Check the ravioli package instructions for how long to boil. It’s usually under four minutes or when each ravioli piece floats to the top of the water. Drain the water and set the ravioli aside.
Step 2: Cook the spinach.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-heat. Add the spinach and cook until it’s wilted, stirring for about three to five minutes.
Step 3; Add the ravioli, pesto and tomatoes.
Keeping the spinach in the skillet, add the cooked ravioli along with the pesto. Stir gently until the pesto has coated the ravioli. Chop and stir in the tomatoes.
Test Kitchen/Editor’s Tip: Homemade pesto always tastes better than what you buy in the store. To make our easy Pesto recipe, all you need are fresh basil leaves, aged cheese, garlic, olive oil and pine nuts. However, pine nuts can be pricey and swapping them out for walnuts won’t drastically change the recipe.
Step 4: Serve the pesto ravioli
Remove the pesto ravioli from the skillet, plate and serve. For optional toppings, add Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to taste.
Pesto Ravioli Variations
- Swap out the cheese ravioli for meat ravioli: If you know you will not have any vegetarians eating this dish, change the cheese-stuffed ravioli to one with a meat or sausage filling. It won’t require any adjustments.
- Combine the pesto with tomato sauce: Many Italian recipes blend pesto and a tomato-based sauce together: this recipe welcomes that, too, especially if you can’t imagine your ravioli without a red sauce!
How to Store Pesto Ravioli
This is an excellent recipe to make in a large batch and then store in the fridge or freeze for later. You just need to make sure that it’s stored in an air-tight container or resealable freezer bag.
Can you freeze pesto ravioli?
Ravioli freezes well on its own and once cooked in this recipe. Just make sure the recipe is stored in a resealable freezer bag or resealable container. The ravioli will be good if stored in the freezer for up to three months.
How long does pesto ravioli last?
Store leftover pesto ravioli in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to two to three days.
Can you make pesto ravioli ahead of time?
If all you want to do for dinner is heat up this pesto ravioli, make the entire recipe in advance. It’s best to make it no more than 24 hours ahead of the time you plan to eat it. Another shortcut is to boil and cook the ravioli in advance and resume the recipe later.
How do you reheat pesto ravioli?
When you’re hungry again, reheat the pesto ravioli gently on the stovetop or in short intervals in the microwave.
Pesto Ravioli Tips
What is a good meat to add to pesto ravioli?
Chunks of chicken meat that have been cooked in a skillet with hot olive oil over medium-heat are an ideal addition to this recipe if you want to add protein.
What pesto is good for pesto ravioli?
If you love recipes with pesto, you probably already know the best store-bought pesto brands. We tested this recipe with prepared basil pesto, but you could also make pesto from scratch if you have the ingredients on hand. For a change of pace, try parsley pesto or nut-free pesto.
What else can you put in pesto ravioli?
This pesto ravioli is tossed with wilted spinach and chopped tomatoes for extra flavor and color. If you’re looking to mix things up a bit, browse other ravioli recipes for inspiration. You could add sauteed shrimp, grilled chicken, roasted asparagus or steamed green beans. For a richer dish, stir in some heavy cream before serving.
Pesto Ravioli
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 package (20 ounces) refrigerated cheese ravioli
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup prepared pesto
- 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
- Optional: Shredded Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper
Directions
- Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add spinach. Cook and stir until wilted, 3-5 minutes.
- Add ravioli and pesto, stirring gently to coat. Stir in tomatoes. If desired, top with Parmesan and red pepper.
Nutrition Facts
about 6 ravioli: 609 calories, 32g fat (8g saturated fat), 77mg cholesterol, 1166mg sodium, 62g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 6g fiber), 21g protein.
Loading Popular in the Community
This easy pesto ravioli comes together in minutes with just a few ingredients. Instead of plum tomatoes, you could use whole grape tomatoes or drained diced tomatoes. If you'd like a bit of extra flavor and crunch, top with toasted pine nuts or walnuts. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
Recipe Creator
Loading Reviews
