Why you'll crave it

Here we completely transform store-bought cheese ravioli into a gourmet dish that's effortless to throw together! It's absolutely smothered in a homemade white wine sauce that's made with everyday ingredients. You could even use lobster ravioli with this cream sauce for an unforgettable date night meal.

It's such a good feeling when you can actually create a restaurant-quality meal at home and impress your family and friends, and that's exactly what will happen when you make this cream sauce for ravioli with parmesan, white wine, and plenty of garlic. It's cheesy, buttery, and downright dreamy.

Ingredients for it

Ravioli - we chose a refrigerated 4-cheese variety with ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino romano, and gorgonzola. Use your favorite kind! You can also use frozen if you wish.

Butter and flour - to make a quick roux to thicken the sauce

Garlic - if you're a garlic lover, you can of course add even more than suggested

Dry white wine - choose one you'd enjoy drinking since it's a star of the sauce. I don't recommend using a cooking wine.

Heavy cream - really important to get that decadent consistency!

Italian seasoning - it's a fragrant blend of dried herbs that comes in a single jar

Parmesan cheese - always grate your own for optimal freshness and taste

Fresh parsley - Italian parsley adds a pop of freshness and contrast

How to make ravioli sauce

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

making a roux for ravioli sauce in a skillet

Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Refrigerated pasta doesn't take too long to cook, so don't boil it too early. Meanwhile, in a skillet make a quick roux with the butter and flour. Add in the garlic, followed by the wine. Let it bubble until reduced.

adding cream and parmesan to a skillet for ravioli sauce

Whisk in the heavy cream until the flour is dissolved. Stir in the Italian seasoning, and cook it until it thickens up. Add the parmesan cheese, stir until combined, and remove the skillet from the heat.

adding parsley and ravioli into a skillet with creamy sauce

Sprinkle in the chopped parsley, and season generously with salt & pepper. Add in the drained cooked ravioli, toss with the sauce, and enjoy!

Helpful tips

I used a pinot grigio for this recipe. Other dry white wines like sauvignon blanc or even chardonnay will work. I suggest using a wine you'd actually drink since the taste does come through in the sauce. You can always drink the rest of the bottle with dinner. 😉

In general, I don't recommend subbing the cream for a lower fat alternative in sauces like this one. It may not thicken up the same way, so you may need to adjust cooking time/add more flour. Half-and-half could work, but you'll likely need to adjust cooking time so it thickens up enough, and there's a greater chance it'll curdle.

Always grate your own parmesan from a block. The pre-grated stuff isn't nearly as fresh or good quality, and it won't incorporate into the sauce well. I use my Microplane zester to grate it.

Substitutions and variations

Feel free to swap the ravioli with tortellini! This sauce would work great with any pasta, really.

Want to make it even more special for date night? Change up the cheese ravioli for something different like lobster ravioli.

Try swapping the Italian seasoning for Herbs de Provence for a fancy touch, or you could use chopped fresh herbs if you happen to have some. Chives and oregano would be good options!

Leftovers and storage

Keeping in mind that the ravioli may soak up the sauce, I recommend eating this within a couple of days. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Reheat slowly over a low heat on the stove so that the sauce doesn't separate. You could try microwaving it, but use 30-second increments so it doesn't overcook.

I don't recommend freezing cream sauces. Once thawed, the texture is grainy and usually becomes separated.

White Wine Cream Sauce for Ravioli