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This Ravioli With Spinach recipe reminds me of Italy. This skillet cheesy and creamy ravioli with spinach is a delicious meal idea for everyday dining and for having friends over, comfort food at its best, creamy and cheesy and satisfying since it is a spinach and cheese ravioli bake. A bag of fresh, ready-to-use baby spinach leaves, free of thick stems, works best here, but frozen spinach leaves with thinner stems also work well in this dish. For a creamier result, the recipe calls for mascarpone cheese, but if you do not have it on hand, replace it with a mixture of 6oz original cream cheese and 2 tbsp of heavy cream.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love This Ravioli With Spinach
- Creamy and cheesy in one pan. Mascarpone and parmesan combine with the cheese ravioli for a dish that is rich, cheesy, and comforting.
- Quick to get on the table. Between prepping the few ingredients and finishing it in the oven, the whole dish is ready in about an hour.
- One-pot meal convenience. The skillet does the cooking and the serving, so there are fewer dishes to wash afterward.
- Golden, crispy parmesan top. A quick trip under the broiler gives the parmesan topping a golden brown and crispy finish.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil. Used to cook the garlic and wilt the spinach at the start, giving the base of the dish its flavor.
- Garlic clove. One minced garlic clove is stirred into the hot olive oil until lightly golden and fragrant before the spinach goes in.
- Baby spinach. A 5oz/150g bag of washed and drained baby spinach, or half a bunch, wilts down in the skillet with the garlic; frozen spinach leaves with thinner stems also work in this recipe.
- Refrigerated cheese ravioli. 20oz/600g of refrigerated or frozen cheese ravioli is simmered right in the skillet with water until tender but still lightly resistant to the bite.
- Mascarpone cheese. 8oz/225g of mascarpone is added around the ravioli for creaminess; if you do not have it on hand, the recipe allows swapping in 6oz of original cream cheese plus 2 tbsp of heavy cream.
- Parmesan cheese. ½ cup of grated parmesan is sprinkled over the top before broiling or baking for a golden, crispy finish.
- Salt and black pepper. Used to season the spinach as it wilts, with a generous amount of pepper added to taste.
Cheesy And Creamy Ravioli
Parmesan cheese also may be replaced by gruyère cheese. If you have a medium-size oven-proof skillet, use it from start to finish as a one-pot dish. Instead, you can cook over a fire in any wide skillet, transfer spinach ravioli to a baking dish, take it to the oven and serve it right away. A 9×13 dish handles the transfer without crowding the ravioli. Anyway, you will end with fewer dirty dishes.
To save time, you may prepare in advance this spinach cheese ravioli, keep in the refrigerator and just pop it into the oven before serving. Broil time is essential to get a beautiful golden and crispy top. If using a broiler, the recipe will be ready quicker (no more than 45 minutes from start to finish), but baking in a hot oven also works.
Skillet Cheesy And Creamy Ravioli (Soo Yummy!)
How To Make Ravioli With Spinach
STEP 1 – Turn on oven broil our preheat the oven to 400ºF /220ºC/hot / Gas 6).
STEP 2 – As a one-pot meal, choose an oven-proof skillet, where the dish will also be served, or set aside a medium-size baking dish.
STEP 3 – Over the fire, heat olive oil in the skillet, add garlic, and stir until lightly golden and fragrant. Mix in spinach, season with salt and a generous amount of pepper, or to taste. Stir until spinach wilts, transfer to a bowl.
STEP 4 – Put refrigerated ravioli and ½ to ¾ cup water into the skillet, cover, and let boil for about 5 minutes, until tender, but lightly resistant to bite.
STEP 5 – Gently add mascarpone around ravioli, return spinach to skillet and sprinkle with parmesan (or transfer to a baking dish). Pop into the oven just until golden brown and crispy.
Spinach and cheese ravioli (Ready to serve!)
Tips for the Best Ravioli With Spinach
- Do not overcook the ravioli. Boil the refrigerated ravioli for about 5 minutes only, just until tender but still lightly resistant to bite, since it will cook further under the broiler.
- Dry the spinach well. Use washed and drained baby spinach so extra water does not thin out the mascarpone once it is stirred into the skillet.
- Mince the garlic finely. Stir the minced garlic clove in the olive oil just until lightly golden and fragrant, so it flavors the oil without burning.
- Choose a one-pot skillet. Use an oven-proof skillet so you can sauté, boil and broil the ravioli in the same pan, then serve directly from it.
- Watch it under the broiler. Keep an eye on the skillet once it is under the broil or in the oven, so the parmesan topping turns golden brown and crispy without burning.
- Try the suggested substitutions. Swap in frozen spinach leaves instead of baby spinach, use cream cheese and heavy cream instead of mascarpone, or use gruyère instead of parmesan. The same approach works for our Sauteed Okra.
Common Ravioli With Spinach Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowding the skillet. Piling too much ravioli into the skillet at once keeps the pieces from cooking evenly, so some end up soft while others stay firm. Stick with the 20 oz/600g called for and give the pasta room to move in the water.
- Skipping the stir. Ravioli left untouched in the skillet while it boils tends to stick to the bottom or to itself. Give it a gentle stir now and then during the 5 minutes so every piece cooks and sauces evenly.
- Too little or too much water. Adding less than ½ cup water can scorch the skillet before the ravioli turns tender, while too much leaves it swimming instead of lightly coated. Stay within the ½ to ¾ cup range and cover the skillet so it boils properly.
- Adding mascarpone off the heat. Dropping the mascarpone in cold or too early makes it clump instead of coating the ravioli smoothly. Add it gently around the ravioli while the skillet is still warm so it melts into an even, creamy layer.
- Rushing the broil. Pulling the skillet or baking dish out too soon leaves the parmesan pale instead of golden brown and crispy. Watch it under the broiler rather than guessing, since ovens vary and the topping can go from done to burnt quickly.
How To Tell When Ravioli With Spinach Is Done
The ravioli itself gives you the clearest signal, so watch it rather than the clock while it boils in the skillet with the water. It should turn tender but still lightly resistant to the bite, not soft or falling apart, since refrigerated ravioli cooks fast and overcooking turns the pasta mushy.
Once the mascarpone and parmesan go on top and the skillet or baking dish goes under the broiler, look for a golden brown and crispy top instead of timing it strictly. The cheese should bubble at the edges and turn spotted brown, which tells you the topping has set and everything underneath is hot and melted through.
Pull it out as soon as that golden color appears, since a few extra minutes under the broiler can take it from crispy to overly browned.
Make It Ahead
If you want to get a head start, you can assemble this ravioli with spinach up to the point before it goes under the broiler, then cover the skillet or baking dish and refrigerate it. Cook the garlic and spinach, boil the ravioli, add the mascarpone and sprinkle on the parmesan, then stop there instead of putting it in the oven right away.
When you are ready to serve, just take the dish out, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes, and then broil or bake it as the recipe directs until the top turns golden brown and crispy. This makes it easy to have everything ready before guests arrive or before a busy weeknight, since the last step is quick.
Storing Ravioli With Spinach
- Refrigerate leftovers. Let the ravioli cool, then place it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator, right in the skillet if the skillet has a lid or transferred to a covered dish.
- Reheat in the oven. Warm leftovers in the oven-proof skillet or baking dish you used for cooking, covering it loosely so the top does not dry out before the ravioli is hot through.
- Homemade or store-bought ravioli. This recipe works with store-bought refrigerated or frozen cheese ravioli, though homemade ravioli can be used in its place if you prefer to make the pasta yourself, since the method and amounts stay the same either way.
- Keep portions covered. Cover any leftover portion tightly before it goes into the refrigerator, since the mascarpone and parmesan topping can dry out quickly once it is exposed to air.
- Reheat gently. Reheat only until the ravioli and spinach are hot and the cheese is melted again, rather than leaving it in the oven longer than needed, so the topping does not overcook a second time.
Variations and Substitutions
- Frozen spinach instead of baby spinach. Frozen spinach leaves can replace the baby spinach called for in the recipe, as noted as a supported option for this dish.
- Cream cheese and heavy cream swap. In place of mascarpone cheese, use a mixture of cream cheese and heavy cream, as this recipe allows that substitution.
- Gruyère instead of parmesan. Gruyère cheese can stand in for the parmesan topping if you prefer a different melted finish on top of the ravioli.
- Skillet or baking dish choice. Make this a true one-pot meal by cooking and serving everything in the same oven-proof skillet, or move the ravioli to a baking dish before it goes under the broiler. For a different take on the same flavors, try our Chicken Pasta Salad with Bacon and Peas or our EASY CREAMY CHICKEN BAKE.
What to Serve with It
This skillet cheesy and creamy ravioli with spinach is filling enough to serve on its own, needing no extra sauce since the mascarpone and parmesan already coat every piece. A loaf of warm bread on the side is a good idea, letting you mop up whatever is left in the skillet once the ravioli is gone.
For a larger gathering, you may want a second dish on the table alongside it, and our Creamy Pasta Primavera is a good match since it also comes together in a single skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a simple cheesy spinach ravioli bake recipe?
This skillet version is about as simple as it gets. Wilt garlic and spinach in olive oil, simmer refrigerated cheese ravioli right in the same skillet with a little water, then top with mascarpone and parmesan and pop it under the broiler until golden and crispy.
What is the difficulty level of this ravioli recipe?
It is an easy, beginner-friendly recipe since it uses refrigerated ravioli and comes together in one pan with just a handful of ingredients and simple steps.
What sauce goes with spinach and cheese ravioli?
No extra sauce is needed here. The mascarpone cheese melts around the ravioli while it cooks, and the parmesan on top turns golden and crispy under the broiler, so the cheese itself acts as the sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 bag packet 5oz/150g washed and drained baby spinach or half a bunch
- 20 oz/600g refrigerated or frozen cheese ravioli
- 8 oz/225g mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1 – Turn on oven broil our preheat the oven to 400ºF /220ºC/hot / Gas 6).
- 2 - As a one-pot meal, choose an oven-proof skillet, where the dish will also be served, or set aside a medium-size baking dish.
- 3 - Over the fire, heat olive oil in the skillet, add garlic, and stir until lightly golden and fragrant. Mix in spinach, season with salt and a generous amount of pepper, or to taste. Stir until spinach wilts, transfer to a bowl.
- 4 – Put refrigerated ravioli and ½ to ¾ cup water into the skillet, cover, and let boil for about 5 minutes, until tender, but lightly resistant to bite.
- 5 – Gently add mascarpone around ravioli, return spinach to skillet and sprinkle with parmesan (or transfer to a baking dish). Pop into the oven just until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
