Cheese Ravioli with Sage & Walnuts

Do you ever order ravioli at a restaurant and wonder why it doesn’t taste the same when you make it at home? Or you think you need to make homemade ravioli for it to taste as good as at a restaurant? Well…you don’t! You just need to find a premade, store-bought ravioli that you like, and jazz it up! My preference is to buy fresh. This is what you can find in the refrigerator section, often by the lunch meats or deli items. These “fresh” pastas usually have a shorter shelf life and only take a few minutes to boil. You can also go the frozen ravioli route if you have a brand or flavor in mind. These options make cooking ravioli SO MUCH EASIER at home because the bulk of the work is already done for you. All you must do is add sauce and toppings and you have a wonderful meal!

The recipe I want to share with you today is for Cheese Ravioli with Sage & Walnuts. The ravioli is boiled until al dente and is perfectly soft and cheesy. The cheese flavor pairs well with the sage and walnuts, giving it this somewhat earthy but sweet taste. The sauce is made of balsamic vinegar and honey, which is incredibly light and refreshing, but also enhances the sweet flavor of the dish. It’s simple to make and super yummy!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by adding the balsamic vinegar, honey, and a bay leaf to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and let boil until the sauce thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook according to package instructions. You can drain the ravioli or transfer it to a bowl but to not discard the pasta water. You will need it later for the sauce.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat (you can do this while the water is boiling / pasta is cooking). Add the sage and walnuts and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the walnuts are toasted. Increase the heat to high and add 1 ladle full of pasta water (about the equivalent of 1 cup). Cook until the liquid is reduced by half then turn off the heat.

Add the ravioli to the skillet and toss to combine. The butter and pasta water will help the ravioli not stick to each other, but you can add additional pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.

Add the parmesan cheese and toss to combine.

Divide the ravioli between 2 bowls, making sure to get some of the sage and walnut mixture in each bowl. Drizzle the balsamic/honey mixture and serve warm. Top with additional parmesan cheese, to taste. Enjoy!