20-Minute Ravioli with Simple Sauce (Printable Version)
Tender cheese ravioli in a quick tomato-basil sauce, ready in 20 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 18 oz fresh or refrigerated cheese ravioli
→ Sauce
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
04 - 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
05 - 1 teaspoon sugar
06 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
07 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
08 - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
09 - 1 small bunch fresh basil, chopped
→ Garnish
10 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - Extra basil leaves, for serving
# How-To:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds, until fragrant.
03 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
04 - Add ravioli to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions (typically 3–4 minutes), until they float to the surface. Drain gently.
05 - Add chopped basil to the sauce, then fold in the drained ravioli, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan and extra basil.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like it simmered for hours thanks to a few smart ingredient choices
- Everything cooks in one pan except for the pasta boiling water meaning less cleanup and more time to actually enjoy your meal
02 -
- Reserving just 2 tablespoons of pasta water before draining can rescue a sauce that's too thick or refuses to cling to the ravioli
- Adding the red pepper flakes with the garlic rather than the tomatoes helps infuse their heat throughout the entire sauce
03 -
- Crushing whole canned tomatoes by hand gives you a sauce with more texture and character than buying pre-crushed
- Let your sauce rest for just 2 minutes off the heat before adding the pasta, the flavors really come together in that short time