This easy recipe for cheese ravioli with walnut sauce swaps out the usual tomato sauce for a buttery walnut topping. And almost as delicious is the fact that it is ready in 15 minutes!

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Why we love this recipe
I love a lovely pasta tomato sauce as much as the next girl, but sometimes you want to shake things up a bit, or in the case of this ravioli recipe, you want something a little lighter that will let the taste of the ravioli shine through.
And that is where this lovely, simple sauce comes in. It’s delectable, but it’s basic: butter, garlic, a little olive oil, some walnuts, a little lemon juice and some parsley.
It’s more of an accent than a sauce, if that makes sense. And it is all kinds of wonderful.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
Here’s how you make this recipe
So one of the MOST important parts of this recipe is that you get yourself some super fine ravioli.
If you have a specialty Italian market around you anywhere, that’s where you want to go (and if you don’t, try the dairy section of your supermarket.
Once you have your mitts on your lovely ravioli, you are going to cook them up however the package advises in some salted water, scooping out a little of that water when the ravioli is cooked. It will be all kinds of starchy and salty and it’s going to help us finish off our sauce!
While the ravioli is bubbling away, make the sauce by melting a little butter in a little olive oil, and then stirring in some garlic and walnuts.
You are going to stir that all around until the walnuts are just golden, and then you are going to add in some fresh lemon juice, a little chopped parsley and some salt and pepper.
AND HERE COMES THE MAGICAL PART.
Drizzle in just enough of that ravioli cooking water to make a light sauce. The starchy salty goodness of that water is going to add a flavor that will have you looking at pasta water will all kinds of love and admiration.
Now pour your ravioli into the skillet, give everything a nice gentle toss, and divide it all among warmed plates.
Make sure everyone gets their fair share of walnuts, scatter on some Parmesan cheese and some fresh parsley, and hand out the forks.
And to think, you just started cooking supper a mere 15 minutes ago!
Other ravioli recipes we love!
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.
PrintCheese Ravioli With Walnut Sauce
This easy recipe for cheese ravioli with walnut sauce swaps out the usual tomato sauce for a buttery walnut topping. And almost as delicious is the fact that it is ready in 15 minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- One 14– to 16-ounce package cheese ravioli
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 cup (2 ounces) walnuts, roughly chopped
- Juice from one lemon
- Sea salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain, reserving a half cup or so of the cooking water.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and walnuts and stir until the nuts are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the parsley and give it all a good stir. Drizzle in enough of the reserved cooking water to make a light sauce.
- Add the ravioli and toss to coat. Divide among warmed plates, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and a little parsley and serve!
Theresa Murphy says
Mmmmmm….love me some ravioli! This looks heavenly! Another good one for the Lent Friday File!