My ravioli with tomato sauce is an easy, flavorful dish perfect for weeknights or family dinners. This rich red sauce for ravioli comes together quickly with simple ingredients, making it the ideal sauce for ravioli that everyone will love!
If you like this recipe, you might enjoy my Creamy Tomato Pasta Sauce or my homemade ravioli recipe.
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Jump To
- Why You'll Love This Ravioli with Tomato Sauce
- Which Ravioli to Use
- 🛒 Ingredient Notes:
- Equipment you need to make this recipe
- 🍽️ How to Make Ravioli with Tomato Sauce
- What to serve with ravioli with tomato sauce
- Leftover and Storing recipe ravioli sauce:
- Variations
- ☑️ Expert Tips for the Best Ravioli Tomato Sauce
- Some other sauce recipes you'll love:
- 📖 Recipe
- Easy Ravioli with Tomato Sauce Recipe
- ❓ FAQ'S
CIAO, all you ravioli lovers! This recipe is part of my how to make ravioli guide. I recently shared nonna's ravioli dough recipe, homemade ravioli and our ricotta filling.
This homemade tomato sauce is naturally gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, dairy-free and paleo, Whole30, and keto friendly.
If you're looking for a simple yet flavorful dinner, my Ravioli with Tomato Sauce recipe is perfect. This dish combines fresh or store-bought ravioli with a rich, tangy tomato sauce, enhanced by the kick of red pepper flakes and the creaminess of Parmesan cheese. Whether you're using fresh or store-bought ravioli, the beauty of this recipe lies in its ease and versatility.
The sauce is the star here-it's a classic blend of crushed tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil, finished with a touch of creamy tomato richness and could be balanced with just the right amount of red pepper flakes for subtle heat.
I love pairing this tomato ravioli sauce with a side of warm garlic bread. The creamy tomato sauce clings to the ravioli, creating a perfect balance of flavors in every bite. If you prefer a little more heat, feel free to add extra pepper flakes, or you can keep it mild for a more traditional flavor.
To finish, sprinkle Parmesan cheese (I like to use Parmigiano Reggiano) generously on top to give the dish that extra layer of indulgence. This is one of those meals that feels special, yet it's simple enough to make on any busy weeknight.
This ravioli with tomato sauce recipe is perfect for anyone who loves Italian comfort food but doesn't have hours to spend in the kitchen!
Why You'll Love This Ravioli with Tomato Sauce
- Done in 25 minutes - the sauce simmers while the water comes to a boil, so everything finishes at the same time.
- Works with fresh or store-bought ravioli - use whatever you have. Both are delicious with this sauce.
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free - the tomato sauce itself has no animal products and no gluten, making it easy to adapt for guests with dietary restrictions.
- Restaurant quality at home - good olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes, and fresh basil do the heavy lifting.
- Make-ahead friendly - the sauce can be made days ahead and refrigerated or frozen, so weeknight dinner is even faster.
Which Ravioli to Use
Tomato sauce is one of the most versatile pairings for ravioli - it works with almost any filling. Here is what I recommend:
- Cheese ravioli - the classic choice. Ricotta, Parmigiano, or a mix of both inside the ravioli creates a beautiful contrast with the bright tomato sauce.
- Spinach and ricotta ravioli - my personal favorite. The earthiness of spinach and the creaminess of ricotta are perfect against a good San Marzano tomato sauce. I have a homemade version here.
- Meat-filled ravioli - beef, pork, or a mix. Hearty and satisfying, especially if you add a pinch more red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Mushroom ravioli - the umami depth of mushroom filling pairs beautifully with a simple tomato sauce. Try finishing it with a drizzle of truffle oil.
- Store-bought ravioli - a good quality refrigerated ravioli (Buitoni, Giovanni Rana, or your local Italian market) works just as well for a weeknight dinner. Check the cooking time on the package.
🛒 Ingredient Notes:
I shared nonna's ravioli recipe, it is a keeper! You could make this recipe with homemade ravioli or store-bought ravioli. This is the recipe to make the best homemade tomato sauce to go with the ravioli:
Homemade tomato sauce:
- Extra virgin olive oil- The better the quality olive oil, the better your sauce will taste.
- Garlic- Garlic or onion can be used. You could even use onion and garlic. I like to grind fresh garlic and store in a jar in my fridge with some olive oil.
- Onions- If you only have onion on hand, use 1 diced medium onion (yellow, sweet, or red is fine). You could even use a shallot.
- Canned Tomatoes- Use whole Pomodoro San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP. The most incredible flavor and is truly the best quality canned tomatoes. You could also use crushed tomatoes, just use a very good quality.
- Salt- I like to use sea salt. One teaspoon should be enough, but add more to your taste.
- Seasoning- If you like some heat, you could add some crushed red pepper flakes.
- Fresh herbs- My garden is bursting with basil in the summer. I only like fresh basil for the sauce. You could even use Italian parsley if you don't have basil, but fresh basil has the best flavor.
Equipment you need to make this recipe
- Cutting board: I enjoy using my bamboo cutting boards, but whatever type of cutting board will work fine.
- Sharp knife: To cut onions and garlic (and fresh tomatoes if you're adding to the sauce), a nice sharp knife is needed.
- Large skillet: Any 10.25″ skillet will work fine. I do really like my Le Creuset Skillet in white.
- Large pot: To cook the ravioli. Has to be big enough for the ravioli to have room to cook and not stick together.
🍽️ How to Make Ravioli with Tomato Sauce
Here is how to make this very easy sauce for ravioli (the full recipe is below!):
- Step 1: Gather up all your ingredients. There aren't that many. I like to make my tomato sauce sometimes with a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes. The cheese is to sprinkle on the ravioli with the sauce. Heat the oil in the skillet.
- Step 2: Add the onion and cook until translucent. If you're using garlic, add it in once the onion is cooked (be sure to not let it brown).
- Step 3: If you're using fresh tomatoes too, add them in and stir. Let them cook a few minutes.
- Step 4: Add in the canned tomatoes and stir to combine. If you're using plum tomatoes, break them up with your wooden spoon. Bring to a boil then lower heat and let simmer.
- Step 5: Season with the salt, and let the sauce cook and thicken.
- Step 6: Add fresh basil, stir and let simmer about 20 minutes.
- Step 7: Cook the ravioli and serve with the sauce.
📃 NOTE: Recipe card with detailed instructions are below! Print it out for later!
What to serve with ravioli with tomato sauce
Ravioli with homemade tomato sauce is total comfort food and it goes really nicely with any roasted vegetable, side dish, pasta, or bread.
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio >>> One of my favorite salads! Really quick to make and so fresh!
- Insalata mista >>> If you need a quick and simple Italian salad, this is the one to make!
- Panzanella Toscana >>> This is a great Tuscan salad! It's so easy to make and also really flavorful.
- Caprese Salad >>> Ready in 10 minutes, this salad is delicious and fast to make@
- Crusty bread >>> You definitely need great bread to sop up all the sauce! Or a super easy psomi spitiko Greek bread.
- Rosemary breadsticks >>> If you love breadsticks, you must try these flavorful rosemary breadsticks!
- Low-carb >>> To stay low-carb, the tomato sauce goes nicely with zucchini or butternut squash noodles.
Leftover and Storing recipe ravioli sauce:
- Refrigerate: Once sauce has cooled down, stir it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You could make the sauce ahead of time and enjoy during the week.
- Freezes: You could double the recipe, since the sauce freezes nicely. Once the sauce cools completely, transfer to an airtight freezer safe container (or a large zipped lock freezer bag). Don't forget to date the bag (or container)and store for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat in pan when ready to enjoy.
Variations
- Creamy tomato ravioli - Stir a splash of heavy cream or a spoonful of cream cheese into the finished sauce for a richer, velvety version that clings beautifully to the ravioli.
- Spicy arrabbiata-style - Double the red pepper flakes, or add a small dried chili to the oil at the start for a sauce with real heat. My Penne Arrabbiata uses the same base if you want a guide.
- Meat sauce - Brown ground beef, pork, or Italian sausage in the pan before adding the onion. Drain the excess fat, then proceed with the sauce as written. My slow cooker turkey Bolognese is also a wonderful option here.
- Pesto tomato sauce - Stir a spoonful of basil pesto into the finished tomato sauce for a fresh, herbaceous twist. Works especially well with cheese-filled ravioli.
- Tomato sauce with ricotta dollops - Plate the sauced ravioli and add small spoonfuls of fresh ricotta on top. The creamy ricotta melts slightly into the warm sauce and adds a luxurious texture.
- Balsamic finish - A light drizzle of good balsamic glaze over the finished dish adds a sweet acidity that balances the richness of the sauce and cheese.
☑️ Expert Tips for the Best Ravioli Tomato Sauce
- Use San Marzano tomatoes - The quality of canned tomatoes makes a measurable difference in this sauce. San Marzano DOP tomatoes are sweeter, less acidic, and have a richer tomato flavor. They are worth the extra dollar or two.
- Do not let the garlic brown - Garlic needs just one minute in the oil. If it turns brown, it will make the entire sauce bitter. Stay at the stove and stir constantly.
- Simmer, do not rush - Twenty minutes of simmering deepens the flavor and thickens the sauce. If you rush it, the sauce will taste thin and raw.
- Use a wide pan - A wide skillet gives the sauce more surface area to reduce and thicken evenly. A narrow saucepan traps steam and slows the process.
- Salt the pasta water generously - The water should taste like a mild broth. Under-salted pasta water means under-flavored ravioli, and no amount of sauce will fix it.
- Grate your own Parmigiano - Freshly grated cheese melts into the sauce and over the ravioli beautifully. Pre-shredded cheese sits on top in clumps and never fully integrates.
Some other sauce recipes you'll love:
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📖 Recipe
Easy Ravioli with Tomato Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion Sweet, vidalia, or red
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large tomato chopped
- 1 can 28 ounces whole peeled San Marzano DOC tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
- fresh basil chopped
- Italian parsley chopped optional
- ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes optional
To serve:
- homemade or store-bought ravioli
Instructions
- Heat oil: In a large saute' pan or medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high until it's shimmering.
- Add onion: Add the onion to the oil and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add some garlic: If using garlic, add garlic and cook until fragrant (no more than a minute, or it will brown).
- Tomatoes: Add in the fresh tomatoes and the canned tomatoes. If you're using crushed tomatoes, stir it and combine. If you're using plum tomatoes, I break up the tomatoes with my hands, removing the hard end before adding to the sauce. Break up the tomatoes more with your wooden spoon and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil: Bring the sauce to a boil and use a wooden spoon to stir, breaking up the tomatoes while they're cooking.
- Lower heat: Once the sauce comes to a boil for a few minutes, lower heat to a simmer.
- Season sauce: Season with the salt, and let the sauce cook and thicken.
- Check the consistency of sauce: If it's getting too thick, add a little bit of water (start with a ¼ cup).
- Add fresh basil: Finally, stir in the fresh basil and stir to combine.
- Simmer sauce: Let sauce simmer for 20 minutes total. Check the salt and add more if needed. Add hot pepper flakes, if you like it spicy.
- Cook the ravioli: Boil large pot of salted water. If you're using homemade ravioli, depending on how thin or thick you made your pasta dough, it could take 2-5 minutes to cook. If you're using store-bought ravioli, check the cooking time on the package.
- Strain: Scoop out the ravioli with a slotted spoon and add to a bowl or plates.
- Add sauce: Spoon the sauce onto the ravioli and stir to gently combine.
- Serve ravioli: Add in some more chopped fresh basil for serving. ENJOY!
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Make ahead: The sauce could be made a few days ahead of time. The ravioli cook up very quickly and you should only cook them fresh when you're about to enjoy them (whether it's homemade ravioli or store-bought).
- Fresh or canned: You could make the sauce with only fresh or only canned tomatoes, or a combo of the two.
- Onions: I like to use a sweet onion and I sometimes make the sauce only with garlic. You could use onion and garlic to make the sauce.
- Spice: If you like a touch of heat, spice it up with some hot pepper.
- Double the recipe: If you would like to have extra sauce, double the recipe. Use it again throughout the week for a different pasta.
Nutrition
❓ FAQ'S
I love pairing ravioli with a rich tomato sauce, but creamy sauces like brown butter or Alfredo work great too. It really depends on the filling!
Absolutely! Ravioli with spaghetti sauce is a classic combo, especially with a good red sauce.
Yes, ravioli is even better with a sauce! Tomato, pesto, or a creamy butter sauce all elevate the dish.
I like to jazz up store-bought ravioli by tossing it with a flavorful homemade sauce, adding fresh herbs, or sprinkling some Parmesan on top!
Yes, you can cook ravioli directly in tomato sauce-just add some water to thin it out as the ravioli cooks.
Ravioli doesn't need sauce, but it sure tastes better with one! A light drizzle of olive oil can work in a pinch too.
Katie is happy to eat pasta every single night. Your ravioli was a huge hit!!
Hi Liz-Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed the ravioli! I'm like Kate!!
Really good sauce! Cheated and used store-bought ravioli. Next cooking project is to try your homemade ravioli. They look very good!