Creamy Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with homemade garlic parmesan Alfredo sauce is a quick, easy, and totally tasty way to jazz up store-bought ravioli!
Fresh, refrigerated ravioli are a kitchen staple for us this time of year. Temps are dropping and hot, quick and easy dinners are calling our names!
This creamy spinach and cheese ravioli dish is a total breeze to throw together and features my go-to alfredo sauce and a whoooole lot of spinach! You can even go for gold and add some extra veggies beyond my basic garlic-onion-spinach shenanigans.
Veg it up!
Here’s a list of extra veggies you can add to this easy peasy dish. Everything from sliced mushrooms to tender sautéed asparagus would be a great addition to this tasty pasta skillet.
- asparagus
- sweet peas
- zucchini
- mushrooms
- kale
- shallots
Cook veggies via your favorite method and then mix it all up together or serve them steamed/roasted on the side.
Q: What ingredients do I need to make this spinach and cheese ravioli recipe?
- refrigerated cheese ravioli
- oil of choice (I used avocado oil)
- fresh baby spinach (approx. 3 cups)
- a small onion
- garlic cloves
- unsalted butter
- all-purpose flour
- milk
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- pesto (store bought or homemade)
- salt and pepper
- grated mozzarella cheese
Looking to add some protein?
You can totally go the T-Rex route with this dish if you’d like! You can choose chicken and cheese stuffed ravioli or simply add some shredded rotisserie chicken to the pot. Browned Italian sausage (sliced or crumbled) works great and so would grilled or sautéed shrimp!
Creamy Spinach and Cheese Ravioli
Serve this scrumptious spinach and cheese ravioli dish with a leafy green salad with Italian or Balsamic dressing and/or some crusty garlic bread!
Creamy Spinach and Cheese Ravioli
Ingredients
- 9 oz package small refrigerated cheese ravioli
- 2 tsp avocado oil or coconut/olive oil
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1 small onion (approx. 1 cup finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter
- 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk plus extra to thin sauce as desired
- 1/4-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 TBSP pesto
- salt and pepper to taste (don’t skip but season to taste)
- 1/4-1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cook the ravioli according to package directions until al dente. Drain ravioli in a colander and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, chop your onion and spinach and mince your garlic.
- Heat the oil in a large stainless pan/skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until tender and translucent, approx. 5 minutes. Add garlic towards the end to prevent burning.
- Add butter and garlic to the pan. Once butter has melted, add flour and whisk constantly with a metal whisk until the butter and flour are well combined and the mixture darkens in color a bit.
- Pour in milk and whisk vigorously to combine. Whisk often until mixture thickens (this will happen faster for room temperature or warmed milk and a little slower if using cold milk) then add parmesan, pesto, salt, and pepper.
- Once your sauce has reached desired thickness, fold in your chopped spinach and cooked ravioli. Thin sauce if desired with additional milk and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, top with grated mozzarella and cover with the pot's lid to melt the cheese. Dive in while it's hot!
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this creamy spinach and cheese ravioli dish, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Me and my four children loved this recipe! So yummy and easy to follow 😋
Ahh yay! Thank you Christie! I’m so thrilled your family enjoyed the ravioli recipe.
The Creamy Spinach and Cheese Ravioli dish was delicious. We loved it and it shall become a regular dish on our dinner menu. I used frozen spinach because that’s what we had on hand. It worked easily enough but I will use fresh spinach next time per the instructions or use less frozen spinach.
So honored this one will make repeat status – thank you Lisa Marie! For sure try it with fresh next time you get a chance, I love it with fresh or frozen but fresh is for sure a fav here!
This was delicious. I didn’t make enough sauce for the 12oz pasta. So next time I’ll add more milk. Also my ravioli got stuck all together. So the sauce didn’t cover all of the pasta. Overall, taste is good!
I made this last night and it was so delicious!! I added sautéed asparagus for extra veggies and I may also add artichoke hearts next time.
When do you add the spinach and to what???
Hi Tami! You’ll fold in the fresh chopped spinach along with the ravioli in step 6. It’s in the recipe card on my screen so for sure let me know if it’s not showing up on your end? xoxo
Oh, man – This recipe is AWESOME. I made it as is (exept that I used frozen spinach and only parmessan cheese). My huband, who is usally a moderate eater, asked for a THIRD helping. Highly recommended!
Absolutly delicious!! I make my own ravioli and freeze so used mine, is the only thing I did different. I have attempted several times to make my own Basil Pesto but find I like Calssico brand store bought better so I always have it on hand. Served with a salad, crusty Itallian bread and extra Parmesan cheese as desired. This has graduated from ” try a new recipe day” on our monthy menue rotation and is now on the “we want this every two weeks menu per family request. My daughter hs already requested it for her girls night ” supper club” dinner. Thank you for a great recipe!!!
Very good, didn’t change a thing. This is going to be a new dish in our home.
So glad you enjoyed it, Gordon!
what happened to pesto?
Hi Sherry! It’s added in step 5 along with the parmesan. It can be added in step 6 as well – whichever works best for you! xo
Absolutely delicious and simple!
Sounds fab! You could really use any kind of pasta for this. Totally making this! Thanks, Jenn.
I get so hungry whenever I’m here lol
Omg it’s perfect… measurements and everything… love it
Do you use regular milk or heavy whipping cream
Hi Danielle! I always use regular 2% milk for this recipe.
Great way to serve ravioli. I love the bountiful spinach in this dish.
Thanks Robin!
Love that this recipe is packed with spinach! We will definitely be making this again. So creamy and delicious!
I’m honored it’s making repeat status — Thanks Ashley!
Doubled the sauce and threw in a whole bundle of asparagus and a zucchini. I think I let my roux cook too long because the sauce was incredibly thick and I had to thin it with lots of milk. Still delicious!
LOVE the added veggies! Thanks Youngmi!
Made this for a small dinner party. Added some sweet Italian turkey sausage. AMAZING!!! Clean plates & no leftovers. My husband asked for it to be put in the rotation. Jenn makes it easy to look like you know how to cook!
Great recipe. The whole family loved it. Added some peppers and mushrooms.
Peppers and mushrooms sound like perfect mix-ins – YUM! Thanks Anne!
Made this for supper tonight. Oh yeah it was really yummy. I printed the recipe out for making 4 servings. It called for 1 cup of onions, which seemed a bit much to me so I did 1/2 cup, and that seemed just right. Also, didn’t have pesto so I just sprinkled basil liberally and I thought it worked just fine. I ate this with a small Caesar salad and I got 3 servings out of the 4 the recipe said it would make. It was very filling. Even though I had to tweak it a little, it is still a 5-star keeper of a recipe.
Sounds marvelous Gael! I’m so glad you enjoyed the dish!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it Gael, thanks! xoxo
great dish, love the fresh spinach, and other ingredients too, thank you!
Thanks Sabrina!
This looks amazing! I already have everything except the ravioli. I’m adding it to my dinner list next week! Your recipes never disappoint. ?
Thank you Shauna! Can’t wait to heat what you think! xoxo