Butternut Squash Ravioli with Creamy Sage Sauce is the ultimate comfort food. Enjoy restaurant-quality flavors at home and without the fuss. All you need is 8 basic ingredients to make this cozy ravioli dish at home.
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why this ravioli and sage sauce is better
- Ready in 20 minutes
- Only 8 simple ingredients
- Can be made dairy-free or vegan (or you can add a protein!)
Many butternut squash with sage sauces use brown butter to make the sauce. And that’s delicious, don’t get me wrong. But, brown butter requires some babysitting and it can quickly burn. If you do want brown butter, head over to my sheet pan gnocchi recipe.
I don’t like to babysit my food, so I wanted to make a foolproof recipe that tastes delicious and tastes just like our Lake Como lunch (photos below, or it didn’t happen). This recipe does just that. Plus because it doesn’t need butter, you can easily make it vegan or dairy-free, OR add a protein to it.
So, let me take you to Lake Como and teach you how to make the most perfect butternut squash ravioli with a sage sauce!
ingredients and substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Butternut squash ravioli: You can use any store-bought ravioli (Trader Joe’s makes a really good one!). This dish is also quite good with other ravioli flavors like goat cheese ravioli, roasted pumpkin, fennel, and more. Or, you can make homemade ravioli with your own pasta and any type of squash (sweet butternut, roasted pumpkin ravioli, delicata squash, etc).
- Garlic: I always mince fresh garlic but you can use pre-minced. Just use 1 tablespoon for each of the garlic cloves you’re substituting.
- Sage: Fresh sage leaves are a must here.
- Heavy cream: I use vegan heavy cream by Silk but you can use any heavy cream. Coconut cream does work texture-wise but the flavor isn't at all the same so I don’t recommend it.
- Bread crumbs: Regular panko bread crumbs work or you can use gluten-free ones.
- Dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper
- Olive oil: Feel free to use butter (salted or unsalted butter is fine) or avocado oil.
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
recipe testing notes
Throughout our testing of this creamy sage sauce with butternut squash ravioli, we learned some key things that worked and didn't work. Here are the key takeaways!
More sage, more to love: Sage is not the most powerful flavor. To ensure its flavor shines throughout, we added the sage to the sauce and the breadcrumbs. In addition to that, letting the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes with the sage leaves really helped to highlight them.
Using pasta water: We tested this recipe with both chicken stock and pasta water as a way to thin out the sauce. Both produced a silky sauce but the hot pasta water was easier to come by and kept the dish vegetarian so it was our winner.
how to make this - step-by-step
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full recipe!
Step one: make the ravioli
Make the ravioli according to the package directions in a large pot of water, removing from the pasta water with a slotted spoon when done. You can also strain it, just be sure to reserve a quarter cup of pasta water for later.
Step two: toast the bread crumbs
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and half of the sage. Toast the bread crumbs, stirring every couple of minutes to evenly brown them. Once done, remove them from the pan and set them aside.
Step three: make the sauce
Using the same pan from making the breadcrumbs, wipe it out with a paper towel and return to the stove. Keep the heat at medium, add the mustard and garlic, and saute in a little more oil until fragrant. Deglaze (adding a cold liquid to a hot pan to make any bits stuck to the pan release) the pan using a quarter cup of pasta water. Now mix in the cream, salt, pepper, and sage.
Step four: simmer
Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes until the room smells of sage. Be sure to stir this periodically to keep the cream from burning.
Step five: add the ravioli
Add the ravioli to the pan and toss to coat evenly. Let simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Plate up the ravioli and top with the toasted bread crumbs and crispy sage leaves mixture. Enjoy!
watch how to make this - step-by- step
helpful tips
- Breadcrumbs burn: Breadcrumbs can burn quickly so it’s super important to stir them frequently. If they burn, no big deal though! Simply dump them out and start over (they only take a few minutes).
- Sticking ravioli: I found that my ravioli had a tendency to stick to the bottom of my stainless steel pan when added to the sauce. They were easy to release but if you're concerned about unsticking them, I recommend using a non-stick skillet. Or, you can plate the ravioli and pour the sauce over the top directly on the plate to avoid it altogether.
- A note about ravioli: This is supposed to be an easy recipe, using ravioli found at your local grocery store. But if you want to make your own with homemade pasta dough, by all means, do it! If I had the time, I would because fresh ravioli and a glass of white wine are some of my favorite things!
- Serving this at a dinner party: If you want to serve this dish to guests, I recommend preparing all the components but not assembling them until the guests are there. To do this, keep the toasted breadcrumbs mixture on the counter, cook the ravioli and keep them in a bowl covered with a little oil, and make the sauce, keeping it covered and warm on the stovetop. When ready to serve, simply assemble it all together.
common questions
I don’t recommend dried sage. It often has a bitter taste and an unpleasant mouth feel.
Yes, to make this cream sauce vegan, use vegan heavy cream. Silk makes a great one that works well in this recipe. For the parmesan, you can either leave it out or use a vegan one. Also, just be sure you are using a vegan butternut squash ravioli (many add butter, cheese, or cream).
Unfortunately, this dish is not great for making ahead of time. Luckily the sauce is super quick to make and you can prepare everything else in advance. If you want to have some components ready, you can toast the bread crumbs and store them with paper towels; cook the ravioli and store them in the fridge up to 2 days early.
If you didn't save any pasta water, no worries! You can use vegetable broth or plain water in a pinch. But, pasta water has the starches from the ravioli pasta that help to thicken the sauce so the sauce may be a bit thinner without it.
While I think this dish is perfect on its own, here are some ideas to make for a bigger meal: brussels sprouts, chicken with red pesto sauce, or green beans.
recipe variations
Ravioli with sage brown butter sauce
To make this sage butter sauce, use butter in place of oil and let it simmer until golden brown bits appear (not burnt butter but golden brown). Then, add the garlic and everything else.
Ravioli with a maple cream sage sauce
To make this variation, add 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup to the sauce.
Hazelnut parmesan sauce over fennel ravioli
Try using chopped hazelnuts instead of breadcrumbs to make the crunchy topping. Then mix in the parmesan with the hazelnuts. Enjoy over fennel ravioli for a real restaurant-quality meal at home!
Spinach and Ricotta ravioli with a butternut cream sauce
For this variation, cooked butternut squash will be blended into the hot cream sauce (carefully). Then pour over spinach and ricotta ravioli and enjoy!
storage tips
To store any leftovers, put the ravioli in an airtight container and into the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, either use the microwave for 1 minute or put in a skillet on the stove with a little more water or cream. Saute on low until reheated, stirring periodically. These do not freeze well.
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Recipe
butternut squash ravioli with a creamy sage sauce
Equipment
- 1 stock pot
- 1 lareg skillet
Ingredients
- 1 package butternut squash ravioli (9 oz box)
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs (gluten free as needed)
- ¼ cup sage leaves (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (or avocado oil)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced or 2 tablespoons pre-minced)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ cup heavy cream (vegan heavy cream works too)
- ¼ cup pasta water
- ¼ cup parmesan (for topping)
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Make the ravioli according to the package directions in a large pot of water, removing from the pasta water with a slotted spoon when done. You can also strain it, just be sure to reserve a quarter cup of pasta water for later.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and half of the sage. Toast the bread crumbs, stirring every couple of minutes to evenly brown them. Once done, remove them from the pan and set them aside.
- Using the same pan from the breadcrumbs, wipe it out with a paper towel and return to the stove. Keep the heat at medium, add the mustard and garlic, and saute in a little more oil until fragrant. Deglaze (adding a cold liquid to a hot pan to make any bits stuck to the pan release) the pan using a quarter cup of pasta water. Now mix in the cream, salt, pepper, and sage.
- Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes until the room smells of sage. Be sure to stir this periodically to keep the cream from burning. Stir in the parmesan, if using, at the end.
- Add the ravioli to the pan and toss to coat evenly. Let simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Plate up the ravioli and top with the toasted bread crumbs and crispy sage leaves mixture. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Breadcrumbs burn: Breadcrumbs can burn quickly so it’s super important to stir them frequently. If they burn, no big deal though! Simply dump them out and start over (they only take a few minutes).
- Sticking ravioli: I found that my ravioli had a tendency to stick to the bottom of my stainless steel pan when added to the sauce. They were easy to release but if you are concerned about unsticking them, I recommend using a non-stick skillet. Or, you can plate the ravioli and pour the sauce over the top directly on the plate to avoid it altogether.
- A note about ravioli: This is supposed to be an easy recipe, using ravioli found at your local grocery store. But if you want to make your own with homemade pasta dough, by all means, do it! If I had the time, I would because fresh ravioli and a glass of white wine are some of my favorite things!
- Serving this at a dinner party: If you want to serve this dish to guests, I recommend preparing all the components but not assembling them until the guests are there. To do this, keep the toasted breadcrumbs mixture on the counter, cook the ravioli and keep them in a bowl covered with a little oil, and make the sauce, keeping it covered and warm on the stovetop. When ready to serve, simply assemble it all together.
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
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