Mushroom Ravioli with Walnut Sauce
Pair store-bought mushroom ravioli with a delicious 6-ingredient creamy walnut sauce (that comes together in the blender!) for an easy 15-minute dinner your family will ask for every week.
Servings 6 servings (1 cup each)
Calories 651kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts plus more for garnish
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme minced, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated, plus more for garnish (see note 1)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 20 ounces refrigerated mushroom ravioli (see note 2)
Instructions
To make the walnut sauce:
- In a blender or food processor, add walnuts and garlic and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 5 pulses.
- Add heavy cream, olive oil, and thyme and process to a coarse paste (the sauce will not be smooth). Stir in cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper if desired (I like 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).
To make the ravioli:
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add ravioli and cook according to package directions, about 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to paper towels to drain (do not drain pasta cooking water).
- Add 4 to 6 tablespoons hot pasta cooking water to walnut sauce and stir to thin. Arrange ravioli in a large serving bowl or individual plates. Top with sauce and garnish with crushed walnuts, fresh thyme, and more Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Parmesan cheese: As much as I adore the store-bought pre-grated kind in the green can for certain purposes, for this walnut sauce, I suggest grating your own Parmesan from a block of cheese.
- Refrigerated mushroom ravioli: Stock up on your favorite brand of fresh or frozen ravioli at the supermarket, or make your own if you're feeling ambitious.
- Yield: Start with 20 ounces of ravioli, as explained here, and this recipe makes 6 one-cup servings of saucy pasta.
- Storage: Cooked pasta keeps for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Store the mushroom ravioli and walnut sauce separately and reheat XX directions here.
- Make ahead: This recipe is best made just before you plan to serve it, even though the leftovers are delicious. If you want to pre-cook a larger amount of ravioli so you can replenish a buffet, toss the pasta lightly in olive oil after it’s drained, which will keep it from drying out. Then simmer the sauce and combine the two as needed.
- Pasta water pointers: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil for each 20-ounce batch of ravioli of you plan to cook. Add salt if desired; I generally use 1 tablespoon salt per quart of water.
- Yield: A (20-ounce) bag of ravioli will have about 30 pieces of ravioli. That's enough for 6 servings, 5 pieces each (about 1 cup ravioli) with sauce.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The walnut sauce can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days in advance. If you want to pre-cook a larger amount of ravioli so you can replenish a buffet, toss the pasta lightly in olive oil after it’s drained, which will keep it from drying out. Then simmer the sauce and combine the two as needed.
- Pasta water pointers: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil for each 20-ounce batch of ravioli of you plan to cook. Add salt if desired; I generally use 1 tablespoon salt per quart of water.
- More sauce options: Try your favorite ravioli with homemade meat sauce, DIY pesto, or quick tomato sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 651kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 384IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 11mg