One of the biggest shocks of my post, cough, 30 life is that I have become, well, a jock. It unfolded in such an innocent manner, I barely registered what was happening. I always swam laps but every couple years I take a break from it to torture myself into becoming “a runner” (read: jogging and sputtering). I usually fail and go back to swimming but this time it held my interest longer. Then I decided to throw in a day a week with a trainer because I’m just not the kind of person who does burpees on my own volition. Then I found out my trainer used to be a boxer, and so I started that too. Then I got my mom’s old bike and it turns out that biking around the city is vastly superior to any other mode of transportation. And then my husband decided that he wanted to get back into tennis and I was bummed I’d never learned and now we both take tennis classes once a week. If you think I’m about to break into some horrifically boring speech about, like, the power of exercise, don’t worry, I’m still me. If there was any takeaway here, anyway, it would just be that once I realized I did not care whether I ever achieved greatness in any of these sports — I have no desire to run races and spend more time gesticulating my racket in the direction of a tennis ball than I do hitting it — I was free to truly enjoy them.
Besides, as always, this is a food story and very specific one: the kind of food I leave kids with when mom and dad are out playing tennis. I usually leave the specifics of kid-feeding to my Bon Appétit column (you’re reading it, aren’t you? find them all here) but this is too brilliant not to share right here, right now. When we had babysitters growing up, it meant pizza night, and it was awesome. And while we do that, too, it’s a little different now that it’s a weekly thing, and on Monday. Monday is too soon to break open pizza delivery vault. But a lot of the foods I make for the family (read: what we want to eat but try to nudge them along for the ride) don’t go over as well when we’re not there “encouraging” (read: bargaining, begging them to try a bite, reminding them about that one time they liked it).
Which brings me to skillet ravioli (a cousin to crispy tortellini), a magical 10-minute dinner that is child-approved (pasta! cheese!) and makes me feel like I have not fully given up on providing nutrients (spinach!). This idea hails from (wait for it) a meal kit company that a friend uses and told me about this dish. I loved the idea and did my best to reverse engineer it and then simplify it for my lazy purposes. It’s fantastically simple: sauté garlic and spinach, set them aside, steam fresh or frozen ravioli in the skillet, add some mascarpone (instant creamy sauce), the reserved spinach, top it with parmesan and briefly broil it until crisp and browned you never make ravioli again another way.
Previously
Six months ago: Braised Ginger Meatballs in Coconut Broth
One year ago: Candy Pork
Two years ago: Sausage and Potato Roast with Arugula and Bakery-Style Butter Cookies
Three years ago: Russian Honey Cake, Pumpkin Bread and Winter Squash Pancakes with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter
Four years ago: The Broccoli Roast and Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
Five years ago: Fall-Toush Salad and Carrot Cake with Cider and Olive Oil
Six years ago: Lazy Pizza Dough + Perfect Magherita Pizza and Apple Slab Pie
Seven years ago: Pancetta, White Bean, and Swiss Chard Pot Pies and Apple Mosaic Tart with Salted Caramel
Eight years ago: Cumin Seed Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt
Nine years ago: Roasted Eggplant Soup and Apple and Cheddar Scones
Ten years ago: Jalapeno Cheddar Scones and Apple Cider Doughnuts
Eleven years ago: Beef, Leek, and Barley Soup and My Family’s Noodle Kugel
Twelve years ago: Arroz Con Pollo and Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette
Thirteen years ago: Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons and Wild Mushroom Galette
Skillet Ravioli with Spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 5 ounces baby spinach (from a salad-ready container)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
- 18 ounces refrigerated or frozen ravioli
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 6 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
Heat broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the heat source, if you can make adjustments.
In medium-large (mine is 10 inches) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and add garlic. Cook until garlic is barely golden, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add spinach and few pinches of salt, and cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste. Use tongs or a spoon to transfer garlic and spinach to a bowl.
Place cold ravioli and 1/2 cup water, and a few more pinches of salt in the skillet and bring to a boil over high, then reduce heat to medium. Place a lid (any lid will do) on top and let steam for 3 to 5 minutes (the longer time for frozen). Check a piece of ravioli to see that it’s heated through and tender.
Spoon the mascarpone in tiny dollops around the ravioli, which is very fragile right now and doesn’t like to be moved a lot, but give it a gentle turn or two. Season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach back, and do the same. Sprinkle the top of the pan with parmesan and broil until the ravioli are browned in places, anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes, depending on how robust your broiler is.
Eat right away. Leave leftovers in skillet and rewarm in oven.
one of the biggest surprises of my post-40 (ahem) life is that I *love* working out and exercise 5-6 days a week – from someone who worked out maybe 5-6 times cumulative from ages 0-43. So I relate!!!
This looks delicious!
I just turned 40 and need motivation- how did you find it?
ha i tried out for roller derby when i was 40, played until i was 47 when i had, wait for it, a stroke. no worries, i’m okay! still a jock! and also a personal trainer :) i just came here for the ravioli, but to you i would say, ask yourself why you need motivation presumably to work out is what you mean. then take out the bit about motivation so that it’s why you need to work out. the bad whys will not be very motivating; but when you find a good why, you will feel something and that is your baby motivation. like for me, bad whys were “because i’m fat” or after i got over that “because i’m slow” and one of my good whys is “i’m basically a meat robot whose job is to carry around and keep a spark charged, and the spark is me!” so from there it’s just trying out different ways to move the meat robot and sees if the spark dims (lifting weights, ugh) or glows (yoga), or even sparkles (climbing! dancing!)
there is an opposite training philosophy that says, don’t wait for motivation. just do it (hi nike) because you know it’s the right thing to do. and that works for some people. after all, the moral of the wizard of oz is that gray kansas is best. i choose technicolor, though :) good luck <3
Yes! It got a lot easier for me when I stopped waiting to feel motivated (which will never happen) and committed to going to the gym 5 days a week (esp when a friend will meet me there). Commitment > motivation.
As an old 42 year old—it’s honestly how much younger/better I feel when I’m doing stuff that I couldn’t at 26 (my peak couch potato age). Ask 26- year old me to go run a mile and I’d have given you a blank look. Currently I’m training for a half marathon in March and a full in October.
I am so excited to try this for dinner tonight. Looks amazing.
I agree with the feeling good! I’m 44 and just started jogging and pilates 2 years ago because I feel *so much* more flexible and good and sleep better.
Commit in achievable increments and also find something you enjoy doing.
I started with 2x a week lifting weights in a weight training class called Body Pump at the recommendation of my doctor. According to her, women in their 40s have a hard time maintaining muscle mass, which burns fat. It also has the added bonus of showing results faster than cardio. t’s pretty awesome and I find the classes on the app much better than having to go to the gym. While it isn’t my life’s passion, I like the results and I feel like a bad a** after.
Then I added in horseback riding lessons. I rode as a kid and always had it on my bucket list to do again. It provided the perfect balance to my exercise routine, something I love that the weight training actually helps.
Start small but committed and remember that anything is better than nothing, especially when trying to start a new routine.
Good luck! You can do it!
Oh my goodness this gave me a good chuckle!
This looks great but I don’t think my husband likes mascarpone cheese; can you suggest a good substitute? We’d probably also use a different green from our CSA; most greens are pretty interchangeable.
I was wondering if cream cheese might work?
Cream cheese would work but it’s saltier than mascarpone. Cut back on added salt and you should be good to go.
But you really should try mascarpone. I add about a tablespoon to about 1/4 cup starchy water after I cook pasta.for one or two. It makes the pasta taste luscious and then I add parmesan and aleppo pepper to finish the dish. Pure comfort food.
What about burrata?
Goat cheese?
My ravioli struck to my pan. Lost a few of them due to sticking. Maybe add more water to the pan?I used goat cheese and it worked great!
I wonder if ricotta would work?
Yes I was thinking the same thing, ricotta is much easier to find and you can buy in whatever quantity you require.
Yes I was thinking the same thing, ricotta is much easier to find and you can buy in whatever quantity you require.
I used ricotta and it was great! Chard, not spinachio. Some mozarella and parmesan on top. Maybe it was yummy cause we used TJ’s ricotta lemon ravioli. Don’t forget to pour a glass of wine for the cook too.
I’ve made this twice since this post and it is a winner. Uncomplicated, fast, delicious, and presents beautifully. I used refrigerated ravioli from Whole Foods (artisan brand, chicken and mozzarella ravioli) and had no problem with them sticking or breaking apart. Also, my 2 year old loves the spinach in this!! Both times I added a little extra garlic and spinach. Oh, and mascarpone :)
The crispy tortellini recipe uses creme fraiche – maybe that?
How about ricotta?
creme fraiche would work as well. You can also use cream cheese in a pinch. The problem with Ricotta is it is differently textured, closer to cottage cheese. You need the creaminess (with or without the sweetness) to nearly melt into satiny, velvety goodness.
I used a combo of yogurt and sour cream cause it’s all I had and it was great. A little like stroganoff
Yes! A new recipe and it only takes ten minutes. I’m home, recovering from surgery, and ten minutes is about all I can do. Thanks, Deb.
I’m recovering from surgery also. The perfect recipe to return to cooking.
So is I were to add some artichoke hearts to this, I assume it would taste like spinach artichoke dip? I love your recipe for artichoke stuffed shells, but this is way more doable for a mid-week dinner. And it’s the perfect recipe to trick my husband who thinks he doesn’t like artichoke into eating them
If artichokes, I’d maybe use creme fraiche for more sour and some lemon. And a little more parmesan.
You bike ride in the city? Yikes. I.Cannot.Imagine. Kudos to you.
Please stay safe so you can continue both your terrific writing and providing wonderful recipes. :)
Loved this. Used the whole 6 oz container of mascarpone and it was perfect. Next time I would do at least 10 oz of spinach as once it cooked down there was hardly any spinach! Easy dinner and yummy too! Will make this again for sure!
Love this idea! (Making it tonight after a long day of teaching and three parent conferences!) Thanks!
I’m so with you! Exercise became so much more enjoyable when I reached a point where I wanted to do it for the endorphins and the Me Time, rather than to be thinner or compete with anyone. Couples tennis lessons sound like a great standing date – adding that to my #goals. :)
We are, in fact, in totally different lessons at the same facility — but on the same night at least. His group plays actual tennis. Mine is like, “and this is a serve.”
Ha I am in a very similar tennis class to yours! It’s full of late 30’s-late 40’s men and women. It seems that tennis is a sport that people discover or rediscover around this age :)
Very nice 😍😍
I’ve been reading your blog for years…not only for the recipes, but for the wonderful pics of your children as they grow. If you’ve decided to eliminate that feature, I’ll be truly disappointed!
No, but it’s more sporadic. I do share pictures of them on my personal IG stories sometimes (such as today) — debperelman.
Leftovers?! Surely you jest.
Hi! This looks fantastic! I was wondering what skillet you used? Is it cast iron? I’ve been hunting for a good one, and can’t decide what to get.
Also another random question—I can’t find the post where you mentioned what size scoops you use for cookies? I think you said you have 2 sizes you use most? Thank you so much!!
I have this sauté pan, although I probably found it one sale. I actually have no idea which post it was either (I know!) but, two things, I’m working on a one-pager with the stuff I link to all of the time because right now it’s not well organized on the site, and two, well, here are the scoops I use a lot:
small (#60, 2t): https://amzn.to/2WgE06k (tiny cookies like the oreos here; the mini-matzoballs in the vegetarian matzo ball soup in Smitten Kitchen Every Day, the meatballs in the orzo meatball escarole soup)
medium (#40,1.5T): https://amzn.to/2MycFrU (almost everything: most cookies, frosting, small meatballs, gougeres)
large: (#20, 3T): https://amzn.to/2HM1jBH (slightly heaped for cupcake batter, standard meatballs, big cookies — 3″ and more)
Thank you so much for the information! Happy holidays!
I used baby kale, goat cheese and a cast iron skillet that I use frequently. Stuck to the pan though.
If it was my turn to cook dinner tonight, I would totally be making this! I suspect it’s going to be on the menu next Friday instead…Fridays are lazy as far as dinner is concerned!
This looks really good, but I would have to make fresh ravioli since I’ve tried the ravioli at my grocery store and it wasn’t very good. Usually the products at my store in Texas, Central Market, are excellent, but not ravioli. I’m guessing pre-made ravioli in NYC is excellent :)
What about the freezer section? I’m actually less crazy about the stuff that’s refrigerated because I theorize it needs a lot more treating and preservatives to last a couple weeks in a fridge case.
I should try that but not hopeful since I’ve never tasted ravioli that I love, but thanks for your suggestion. I’ve had it at very nice Italian restaurants, and made in a cooking class — not crazy about any of them. Maybe I should try Marcella’s books…..
Try Trader Joe’s. Their’s is quite good. And CM’s frozen 4-cheese isn’t bad.
I live in Austin. Trader Joe’s has good fresh ravioli.
I agree TJ has great ravioli. Have herd good things bout Central Market frozen ravioli but haven’t tried it. I live in Dallas.
I make everything deb tells me to. This one is great, easy and delicious. I added sautéed button mushrooms and next time I’m gonna double the spinach.
I was thinking that another flavor would be nice and mushrooms sounds like a winner! Great idea!
Do we have any recommendations for best prepared ravioli?
I don’t personally have a favorite because (big secret here) I don’t love cheese ravioli. But I like it a lot more like this. I’m in NYC and we have a Russo’s in the neighborhood, which makes fresh pasta. It’s pretty good.
I haven’t tested myself, but the Kitchn did a taste test recently: https://www.thekitchn.com/frozen-ravioli-brands-22950206
Trader Joe’s butternut squash ravioli!!! 🤤
Would this work with tortellini?
Absolutely! You may need to cook them for less time than, say, a larger ravioli. Delicious idea :)
This is an absolute go to in our house! The sweet mascarpone mitigates the bitter of the spinach in A kid friendly, low dishes masterpiece. If you’re looking for other kid-prep-friendly, non pizza dishes check out what my 3 boys (13, 13 and 17) prep on Instagram @bonn_appetit_boys !
Ha, Deb! Laughed out loud at today’s post. My wife and I read your SK blog pretty much daily. Your kid- and excercise- experiences are very similar to ours, though we live in NYs more-political, but-still-traffic-laden cousin to the south (WDC).
Really appreciate your laid-back wit and charm. And recipes —of course we LOVE your recipes. They never fail to be some of the most delicious things we ever eat.
Thanks, and keep up the great work!
Leftovers! Ha!!!!
Thank you for sharing not only your fantastic recipes, but your thoughts on exercise. There’s so much pressure in our world for us to do it for the wrong reasons (to be our thinnest, to actually do that marathon, whatever). How refreshing to remember that a workout can be just an enjoyable part of our day, that non-coordinated or not-terribly-athletic people like myself can feel good about.
Also – you are an amazing writer. I love your voice, thank you for sharing it.
Cheers to you – and all of us!
Making this tomorrow, as soon as I get to my local Italian deli for decent ravioli! I think I can even adapt it to completely remove the saute steps by using my steam oven to cook the whole dish – fingers crossed (I’m nothing if not a lazy dinner maker).
I have also found recently, to my great shock, that I actually enjoy exercise after a lifetime of trying to studiously avoid anything where I might look like a fool in workout clothes. I actually value the endorphin hit (and newfound muscle/core strength) of a twice-weekly reformer pilates class, and owning a bike as an adult is liberating and joyful. What a strange place to find ourselves in.
Just too much cheese for me. What about doing this with another kind of ravioli? I’m thinking mushroom or butternut squash.
When I hit the print button to print your recipes, I’m disappointing that a picture of the dish doesn’t appear on the recipe (although the “related” pictures do appear). Any chance you would be willing to include a picture on the “printed” recipe?
Try this instead: copy the text you want into a Word or text doc, then right-click and copy your desired photos into the doc. Preview before printing to ensure the photos will print in their entirety.
Thanks. I do copy and paste into a Word document, but many blogs set up printing with a small picture of the final product. I really appreciate that feature and wish your website allowed for that, too.
I don’t add a picture to the print template because when I used to have it, people would complain (understandably) that it was a huge toner drain when they just wanted the recipe. With the next redesign, I’ll see if we can add an option where you can choose whether or not a photo is included, but for whatever reason, we weren’t able to last time.
The leftovers for this are practically screaming for the “put an egg on it” treatment.
Made this last night… perfect for actually trying to eat WITH a toddler. Can shop (and find all ingredients at Trader Joe’s) and cook in the 27 second window between daycare pickup and bedtime! Thanks, Deb!
ps– this tastes a lot like the crispy spinach pizza from your site that we have on repeat pretty much all year. I’m thinking of ways to get more spinach into the dish and more crispy. I’m considering leaving it a little less sauteed next time so that the leaves are available to crisp. We’ll see!
YES! Agree with all these comments 100 percent! My only question – Deb refers to “leftovers”… What “leftovers?” My husband and I inhaled this (and gave a few bites to the toddler). ;)
This was delicious. And a even lazier addition… I threw in some rotisserie chicken. Boom .. a “homemade” dinner. My family loved it. Dinner was done in a few minutes and everyone was happy. Thank you for the recipe. Easy does work
typos go in comments? “give it a gently turn”
This is a great idea!! We also have a lot of sports in our week (rock climbing, running, kickboxing, yoga) and this is a great fast meal for a busy night❤️
I made this tonight – my entire family loved it. And it was SO simple. Thank you for sharing.
Oh my, this was wonderful. Made a few changes since I didn’t have all the ingredients, found it to be a super flexible and fabulous recipe – frozen tortellini instead of ravioli, cooked mushrooms and onions with the spinach, didn’t have marscapone so used a combo of yogurt, sour cream, and chopped mozzarella. This will going into regular rotation!
This looks delicious. I’m thinking I’ll just use another pasta like penne since I’m not crazy about ravioli, and also because of health concerns I need to try a healthier cheese, like goat cheese or ricotta. Do you have any suggestions for pasta and cheese substitutions for those of who are watching our weight and other health issues, i.e. high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart issues, pre diabetes? Thank you.
Amazing! Made it with Trader Joe’s sweet Italian sausage and spinach ravioli. Did not change anything (except a little bit extra parm on top) and it was perfect. A huge hit with the family and will definitely make again!
What might be a good mascarpone substitute? I’m at least an hour away from a grocery store that has mascarpone :(
I’d say creme fraiche, but you’re probably in the same situation. Ricotta, most likely, but full fat and maybe if you can stir in a little cream to enrich it, it might help.
This was fantastic!!! All you need is a glass of wine 😊
Thank you, Deb!
This recipe is fantastic. I used pumpkin ravioli and it paired beautifully with everything.
❤️
RF
Pleasantly surprised. It was super easy, ridiculously quick to make, and very tasty.
This is so easy and delicious! Used locally made ravioli (chicken and spinach).
Definitely going on the rotation:)
Triumphant! I don’t know how such a short, simple ingredient list produces such a great meal, but it did. I added a fair whack of mushrooms when sauteing the onions, and am very glad for having done so. I cooked it after a day of (ugh) deep cleaning, so cooking dinner wasn’t high on my list of things I wanted to do. After eating it, my spirits were lifted, and even cranky post-scrubbing me couldn’t argue with the short cooking time/labour demands. Thanks for another sensational recipe, Deb.
This looks delicious! I don’t have an ovenproof skillet; could I make this in a Dutch oven, or would it mess up the broiling?
Hi Deb, recipe looks delicious! Haven’t made it yet but I know I will. In the meantime, what brand skillet is that in the photo? Thanks, in advance.
It’s the 10″ from Staub.
This recipe was a weeknight game changer. So fast and so delicious and all of it in just one skillet. The husband likes meat on his dinner plate so I used fresh, refrigerated sausage/cheese ravioli. Absolutely awesome. It was one of those super busy nights so I didn’t have time to throw a salad together but will make the effort next time.
“the ravioli, which is very fragile right now and doesn’t like to be moved a lot”
Well THIS is just a mood and a half lol – I feel you, little ravioli!!
Love the idea of broiling and love your reflections on how much more enjoyable exercise becomes when it’s simply a thing to enjoy, rather than a thing to win.
This was delicious!! So quick and easy. I used 5 cheese ravioli and tucked a few baby Rosa tomatoes in with the spinach before broiling. Will definitely be on repeat.
An option of printing a picture with the recipe would be perfect! THANKS!
This was quick and delicious! It’s made the “dinner rotation” and my pasta loving son gave it a thumbs up! Been enjoying your site for years! After a medically challenging 2 years, am feeling like myself again and using recipe reading and cooking as therapeutic elixir!!!
Deb Allmeyer
Google recipe for mascarpone! It is very easy and cheaper to make.
I love your blog. But I usually only LOOK and drool at the lovely recipes because with 5 kids going in a myriad of different directions due to a myriad of different interests, my cooking time is somewhere between make ahead soup on Sunday to serve on Monday and Tuesday and pizza to order for Wed etc. My days of home baked bread are a distant memory. Then you posted this and I went ahhhhh! I can do this! And we did. It was fast, and lovely. I added caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms because we love those and left out the garlic because my wife can’t eat that. It was a home run.
This recipe is fabulous, but Deb, 5 oz of spinach? With 18 oz of ravioli, that’s, like, a garnish. Garlicky fresh spinach is a joy, and should be an equal player in this dish. Increase at least by 50%, if not more…and if more, add another garlic clove. My husband said never cook ravioli any other way again. This one’s a keeper.
Lol. 5 ounces is what most packages of baby spinach are at stores around here, so I call for spinach in 5oz increments, usually.
This was an excellent and quick weeknight dinner. I steamed some cubed kabocha squash (gave it a 10-minute head start) and added the ravioli from there. I used a pound of spinach and did not find it to be too much. Great recipe, thank you!
Did anyone else have issues with excess liquid? I had a lot of liquid in the pan after removing the spinach, which I left in for the ravioli, and then I still had a lot of liquid even after the raviloli were steamed. I was concerned that it would be soggy rather than crispy … Any insight appreciated!
Delicious and will definitely make again soon, everyone loved it. But scale way up if you have teenagers! We are a family of 5 so I increased the spinach to 10z and the pasta to 25oz and it was still not nearly enough. Should have doubled the recipe (which I think would work okay if you make it in something with taller sides than a skillet, like a dutch oven).
My 13 year old vegetarian granddaughter and I loved this dish. Used butternut squash ravioli, and will definitely make it again. Would use more spinach, but aside from that it was perfect! Thanks Deb.
Silly question, probably more for everyone than for Deb specifically: how do you cope if your broiler is below your oven, and you have to lie on the floor to get things in or out of it?
I basically do that and then my daughter is like “why you on the floor, mommy?”
Related to the question above, what if you are afraid of the broiler? Can I skip that step and still have it turn out halfway decent? I realize it won’t be as brown. I don’t even know where my broiler is.
This is just ridiculously delicious! I love that the only real prep involved is chopping garlic. I used two packages of Trader Joe’s cauliflower ravioli and added garlic chicken sausage for some protein. I wish I had made an even bigger batch because I’m jonesing for more leftovers!
Hi Deb – I’m making this Friday and can’t wait to try it. I’m curious what burner you’re using in the photo? Is it possibly a single gas burner? I’m a fellow New Yorker with a small apartment and an electric stove, and I long for the days when I had a lot of counter space and a gas stove. I’m wondering if this burner could be a genius investment, or am I asking a dumb question? Either way, please tell me everything about it!
Oh, this looks great! I love this kind of cross between homemade and sort-of healthy prepared food. I still think it’s miles better and definitely faster than waiting for takeout. (My version is pan-frying frozen pierogi with onions and/or apples or butternut squash slices or bacon; I bet spinach would be great as an option with this, too)
Very creamy and delicious! The marscarpone cheese is a genius ingredient. A make again recipe for sure. Deb you are a genius! Thank you.
This dish was delicious and easy! I sauteed some mushrooms in butter and added those back in with the spinach. I know can’t imagine the dish without them!
I would like to try this with tomato sauce instead of the mascarpone. Do you think this will work?
Yes, I think it will — you’ll probably want more than 6T.
I did and it was absolutely delicious, although I think you get less of the chewy crunchy texture than you would with the mascarpone. Still, big hit: my kid went for seconds and my coworkers were eyeing my lunch with envy! I used Deb’s tomato butter onion sauce that I had made in advance.
this was great- thank you. Used the pumpkin ravioli from Trader Joes.
Huge hit!! Thanks Deb!
I made this last night with a big green salad, It was a hit. I sautéed mushrooms in with the spinach/garlic mixture. No kids, but husband approved!
Made after work, truly only took 15 minutes since I sent hubby to the store beforehand for ingredients. This one hits it out of the park! I doubled the spinach. I had to put my fork away before I ate all of the leftovers while cleaning up!!!
Excellent quick supper. Used yogurt instead of the cheese, and it worked out fine. Didn’t have an oven-proof skillet, so I made the dish on the stove, then transferred it to a baking dish to finish in the oven. It looked a bit sloppy, but it tasted fine.
Loved this! Easy to make and not expensive. I used the entire 6oz package of mascarpone cheese and it was perfect. Next time I will double or even triple the spinach as it shrunk to nothing and really could have used a lot more.
A keeper for sure!
Easy Peasy and so good! Definitely a keeper!
Made this and it was delicious! I doubled the spinach and would recommend doing so otherwise there would be very little spinach. Great served with lemon wedges
This recipe tasted amazing and came together quick- I used “fresh” ravioli (pre-packaged but hadn’t been frozen) and it worked great- I did double the amount of spinach since we love it :)
Holy flying cows, was this good. So creamy and delicious. And the bonus is that it’s super easy and quick to make.
Hi Deb—I’ve been reading your blog and making your recipes for years (it’s really the only one I follow) And I finally have a question (two actually). Do you think this would work in a cast iron skillet? And: my partner accidentally put the fresh ravioli I bought for this recipe into the freezer—should I let it thaw or cook it from frozen? Thanks for all the years of yum! —Sharon
Yes, I think it would but it does risk a bit more sticking. But I still think that cast iron is less sticky than what I showed it in (black-enameled cast iron), fwiw.
Made a version of this tonight and it was a hit! With all the delicious TJs ravioli flavors, I see a lot more of this in our future.
These ravioli and their cousins Crispy Tortellini are the real deal! I must admit I was skeptical at first because I always boiled them first but oh my! soooo good! And this comment is coming from an Italian! Thanks for this recipe, added to our regular meal planner!
I agree with the commenter who said this stuck to the pan, BUT it was also not a big deal to just scrape it off and keep going. (I think I might have used too big a pan, which did not help.)
AND it was incredibly delicious. Like, ethereally good. A ridiculous payoff for 20 minutes of work.
It did stick to my Cast Iron pan. Took white a while to clean it, but in the meantime, my husband scraped EVERYTHING LEFT onto his plate and ate it. He said it was one of his favorite meals.
I will make it again, but will use a different pan next time!
Have mercy, this is good! I made a third of the portion size (but kept the same amount of spinach) because my husband said he didn’t want any, then I had to beat him off with a spoon because he kept sniffing around my plate! I’ll make more next time. :)
A late doctor’s appointment an hour from home pushed this recipe to the top of my “SK recipes to make” list. I added a bit of rotisserie chicken I’d frozen just for this, and it was a big hit. My spinach loathing husband had seconds. Quick and delicious, what more could you want!?
This looks absolutely delicious and I love the fact it’s only 15 mins prep time. However one thing I struggle with is that I hate cooking one dish for the adults and one for the kids, but getting my kids eating spinach seems a never-ending battle. Don’t suppose you have any tips for that?!
I definitely talk about this a lot in my Bon Appetit column, and a little bit in this NYT article, but overall, I just prefer not to battle. I’m not making separate meals. I’m more likely to leave a particularly divisive ingredient on the side and let the people who want it to add it to taste.
We loved this recipe! I had some cherry tomatoes and basil on hand, so I made a quick no-cook extra sauce in the blender–tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil. It was delicious drizzled on top. I will definitely make this again!
Love this recipe. I swirled 1 cup of warmed tomato (aka spaghetti) sauce over the pan right before adding the cheese and broiling for an additional depth that didnt add much extra effort time, energy or cost. My family loves it!
Thank you for the addition to our ‘need a meal in a hurry’ repertoire. We’ve had it twice already. I did double the spinach to the 10oz box the second time, wanted more green. I tapped up the garlic and mascarpone to make sure there was plenty of sauce. It was great both ways. Extra bonus that I almost always have everything on hand except the spinach!
Oh wow this looks heavenly! Is there a way to use Parmesan and heavy cream instead of marscapone? I don’t usually have the latter on hand!
This looks very delicious! I’m admittedly a terrible cook but I think this “lazy” recipe is actually one I could handle! Thanks for sharing!
This looks absolutely amazing! I am trying this over the weekend!
This is absolutely wonderful! I made this last weekend and it was so easy! I would love a made from scratch ravioli recipe though! Thanks!
Made this last night and it was rapidly and completely devoured by our family. Is it too soon to make it again tomorrow?
I love to cook ravioli. They are so versatile and are quick and easy to make. And they taste different each time. We add different sauces, spices or herbs. One of our favorite versions is ravioli in garlic butter sauce. That’s perfect for a quick lunch. I have never tried it with spinach, though. That’s a great suggestion, and I will definitely try it out. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m going to try and make this dish this weekend. We’re in for a cold and rainy one, so this is the perfect comfort food. Kids aren’t super keen on spinach though.. would broccoli work? Yay or nay? Trying to think of another nutritious vegetable that the kids might enjoy. Thanks!
It’s amazing how quickly this meal was prepared! Bonus for being kid friendly too :)
I never comment (really!), but I just had to here— this was amazing. Truly, one of the easiest, most delicious dinners I have ever made. I loved it, my husband loved it, our 2.5 year old loved it. Hyperbole all deserved.
I used a combo of spinach tortellini and butternut squash ravioli as that’s what I had and together they equaled 18 oz. I was wary, but even with this substitution it turned out great. Will probably make this weekly- thank you!
Made this last night. My teen daughter came down, looked at it and declared “I feel like I’m eating at a fancy Italian restaurant!”. :). My ravioli package had 24oz, so I used my 12 inch cast iron skillet instead, and bumped up the water I added (probably by too much – I spooned some out before putting it in the broiler, but I also didn’t really have any issues with sticking…) Also heated up some red sauce to drizzle on. Absolutely delicious and a big hit with everyone!
I made this with a combination of pumpkin sage ravioli and 3 cheese ravioli, and added chicken & apple sausage to make a perfect fall dinner! Thanks Deb for such an easy and quick recipe that my kid LOVES.
This was wonderful! For 2 people, I used 10 oz spinach for half as much ravioli, so 4x the spinach ratio in the recipe. It was not too much spinach. ;-) I love the onion and mushroom idea for more vegetables.
I didn’t have mascarpone but used some chive cream cheese, which was a fine substitution. I mixed it into the hot spinach as the ravioli were steaming so it sort of melted and distributed well, and avoided the dolloping part — I will continue doing that with whatever creamy cheese I use. I used less of that as well as the parmesan than called for, and it was still plenty of cheese.
My broiler isn’t working, so I’ll try to get some crispy corners by putting this in the regular oven for a few minutes. Has this worked for anyone else? Wish me luck.
I didn’t do it here but it almost always works, just get your oven as hot as it goes.
Fabulous! Easy, quick, everyone liked. I added some chopped asparagus which I sautéed before I added in the garlic. My sister also made the recipe, and she used cream cheese, and she said it was “restaurant quality”. A make again, for sure!
I’ve made this twice following the recipe exactly, and going to make it again tomorrow night. The mascarpone was a bit too–dare I say–creamy for me, so I’m going to try ricotta with maybe a dab of cream cheese.
OMG SO GOOD. Made with Trader Joe’s porcini truffle ravioli and it was so unexpectedly decadent. SO FAST TO PUT TOGETHER. I had my kitchen cleaned in the 5 minutes it took to broil the dish. I put a little olive oil at the bottom of the cast iron to ensure no sticking based on other comments.
Low effort, high flavor. I really enjoyed this, and will keep this in my rotation for when I really want something tasty but lack motivation for a complicated meal. I did have a little bit of sticking (used my 12″ cast iron pan), but it wasn’t more than a few ravioli. For anyone reading, do yourself a favor and double the spinach.
Yummy, easy and quick!!! Used double the spinach, four cheese fresh ravioli and creme fraiche instead of the mascarpone cheese. Made enough for five helpings although the fifth was more a big snack.
I can see it would please all ages; my sons would have loved it when they were small.
So tasty! Definitely stuck to my cast iron a bit, even with adding a little oil before the ravioli. Will try in a nonstick next time.
Absolutely YUMMY and so simple to make. I’m all about recipes without a huge list of ingredients or requiring a bunch of pots and pans that I end up having to wash. Add to that “single pan prep” the added bonus of being able to put dinner on the table in under 30 minutes and having everyone LOVE it, this is a winner in my book. I made this last night using fresh ravioli (all ingredients available at Trader Joe’s) and it’s now on our “regular rotation”. Well done (as usual) and thanks!
Oh, this is such a find. Except for the spinach, everything else can be on hand for dinner. For two, I get one 9 oz package of fresh ravioli but keep all the other ingredients the same amounts. It would be sad with less spinach. Next time I’d give it a squeeze of lemon to brighten up this luscious dish. Thanks!
This was my first time using pre-made ravioli. Wow! This hit the mark for tastiness for the amount of time spent preparing. My only changes were that I used 24 oz of ravioli (because of the package sizes), a bit less mascarpone (totally fine and was still really cheesy), and double the amount of spinach.
This was absolutely divine. I made it with tortellini. And some extra garlic! Never making packaged tortellini any other way again.
I made this a few weeks ago and loved it. I have stocked up on the ingredients (subbing frozen spinach) to have in case of quarantine. Thanks!
Was this delicious? Yes. I love the crispy topping. Try to tuck the spinach underneath though as mine got too dark after 5 mins. Would I make it again with homemade ravioli? No. Only make this with bought ravioli as the bottom layer sticks to the pan despite the oil. Very disappointing if you’ve slaved over homemade pasta to then have it rip. For that reason only, I wouldn’t make this again as I prefer my homemade (non ripped) filled pasta.
I made this with artichoke ravioli, peas, garlic and lemon zest! It was perfect quarantine dinner. comforting, quick and reasonably nutritious…..
This was reeeeally delish. I’m on a Smitten Kitchen roll!
I made this with aubergine tortellini, and as I didn’t have any mascarpone, I found some suggestions for a substitution: mix cream cheese with cream, and that works a treat.
So much tasty cheese and pasta and garlic and spinach :D
I made this last week and it was delicious and a hit for the whole family, but my mascarpone broke and I had some greasy puddles throughout instead of creamy, saucy spots. Any suggestions on how to avoid this?
Got this in email this morning and had everything so I made it for dinner. Very yummy. I had fresh mozzarella and used that. Will make again!
Delicious. I used 12 oz. frozen mini-ravioli and the leaves from a large bunch of rainbow chard, prepared in a 9″ carbon steel skillet, with no sticking issues. I thought the mascarpone “cream sauce” was genius. It’s great to have such an easy, tasty pasta dish and a new use for chard. (The pretty chard stems are being saved for use alongside carrots and celery for your white bean and chard stew, coming up in a few days.)
I love this recipe so much! Thank you!!
I love how quickly and easily this comes together! We love it as written, but I wanted to comment on the changes I made tonight based on what was in my fridge after a weekend out of town. I used arugula instead of spinach, steamed the ravioli in an equal parts mixture of lemon juice and water, added a handful of halved cherry tomatoes when the greens went back in, and a combo of yogurt and sour cream for the mascarpone. Still delicious!
Perfect for one of those “too exhausted to cook” evenings! It really does take store-bought ravioli to a whole new level. I actually used cream cheese as that’s what I had to hand and it worked perfectly.
I hesitate to share this, I hope it’s okay. I have made this twice. The first time pretty much as written, and it was wonderful. Highly recommend. The second time I had to improvise based on what I had, i.e. no marscarpone. Made as written though I added a yellow squash that I started cooking a bit before the garlic and spinach. When I got to the point where I would dollop marsarpone I dolloped marinara and then topped it with fresh mozzarella and parmesan. It was wonderful. I like both versions and wanted to share in case anyone was looking for a workaround to a limited pantry, err, refrigerator.
Yum. I replaced the marscapone with soya cream, and because I used frozen spinach I didn’t do the removal step. Serious yums.
I have made this many times now. It is a go-to weekday family dinner and it is oh-so-good. Any kind of ravioli or tortellini works. I have also used kale, chard as a sub for spinach. The kale was especially good. Love this dish, so easy and so comforting after a long day.
I made this last night and oh my, Deb, you are a genius! It was 100F so we didn’t really want to cook, but this came together in less than 20 minutes and was delicious. Added some left over chicken in with the pasta and it stayed moist and juicy. This recipe will now be going straight into regular rotation at our house.
This has become a staple in our house! It’s so easy to throw together, and adapts readily to adding some sauteed mushrooms or a little leftover chicken. I think I’m going to start bumping up the amount of spinach, just because it’s so yummy. Thank you for this lovely, simple, and quick weeknight dinner option.
This was great – our whole family loved it. I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet and was sure to oil it properly and watch the heat. I added a little lemon zest and crushed red pepper to the top of the servings.
This was delicious! I parboiled the frozen ravioli for 1/2 the time instructed on the bag because I was worried about trying to cook it in 1/2 c of water. Otherwise I followed the directions exactly and it was perfect! I might try a bit more spinach next time because my husband and I both really like the stuff.
So big Smitten Kitchen fan over here but this recipe was awful. The only sub I used was ricotta, and used TJ sweet sausage ravioli.
Not sure why you wouldn’t just cook the tortellini in a separate pot and then have them go in the oven. They completely stuck to the bottom of my cast iron and fell apart, and somehow became super gross and crunchy, we had to cut them with a knife. Also, way too little spinach in the recipe. And maybe this isn’t the fault of the recipe (or maybe it was) but this was definitely on the blander side, we used some homemade pesto to give it more flavor.
I think next time we’ll try a different technique but I do love the idea of this recipe.
This is our favorite way to make ravioli and use up left over spinach. I keep ravioli on the freezer and we do this for a quick dinner several times a month. Thanks for such a yummy and quick recipe!
First time made as described and second time with half meat and cheese ravioli and half mushroom and cheese ravioli and added dollops of store bought marinara with the mascarpone – delicious and so quick and easy!!
I will never make ravioli the typical simmer and toss with sauce again. This was AMAZING. Made with Rana Mushroom Ravioli and followed the recipe as written. Made in my 10 inch cast iron skillet.
I’ve made this recipe as written and have loved it! I recently made it with tortellini (was out of ravioli) and think I like it better that way, mostly because my tortellini were a little easier to manage (i.e. didn’t have to treat them as delicately as the ravioli).
Tonight, I also added some Italian sausage (maybe 1/3 to 1/2 pound). Sautéed the garlic for 30 seconds – 1 minute, added the sausage, browned, and then added to spinach and let it wilt for 3-4 min while the sausage finished cooking. Then continued with the rest of the recipe as usual.
I will say, one of my pet peeves is when someone says “I loved this recipe!” but then lists all of their modifications. I’d like to make the point that I love the recipe as written, but also like the modifications at times, depending on what I’m in the mood for. :)
I have made this numerous times, always with great success. Last night not as much and I wanted to share, in case it would be helpful for others. First, I had cheese tortellini, which needed to get out of the freezer. I thought my 8 ounces of spinach would go farther, but I need to remember to double the amount. It was farm-fresh and didn’t have as much body as store-bought baby spinach. My crème fraiche had gone bad so I subbed sour cream. My take away: It really needs the crème fraiche or mascarpone, even full-fat sour cream isn’t melty enough. I think tortellini is a fine substitute for the raviolis. I’ll certainly will do it again, with more spinach and crème fraiche, which I make using your recipe.
This is so quick, easy, and delicious. Thank you, Deb! This is in the regular rotation at my house. I’ve used several different varieties of ravioli and they all turned out great.
sounds delish so making it tonight and might add at the last moment it in half
cherry tomatoes and a handful of walnut pieces
I had water left in the pan, after steaming the ravioli. Do you leave the water and add the mascarpone to it, or pour out the water?
Thanks!
I just finished the leftovers from this yummy meal. I slid them into a small baking dish and reheated it at 350 uncovered for 20 minutes. It was just as good.
This is such a simple meal, easy and quick. Delicious with its different textures and taste. Will repeat often. Thanks, Deb!!
I’ve made it twice. Both my husband and I love it! Having a recipe that uses ravioli without red sauce intrigued me. It is easy, quick and tasty. I love the crunch of the edges of ravioli mixed with the creaminess of the mascarpone. Such a lovely one dish meal. Thanks, Deb!!
I made this last night. Actually followed the directions-because I trust your recipes-and it was delicious. Per some of the comments about sticking, I used a non-stick pan. Nothing stuck and they were beautiful and slightly crispy!. The only “bad” part is that there were no leftovers!
Love this method for the ravioli! I saute the garlic and spinach, then steam Trader Joe’s Lemon Ricotta Ravioli, leave off the mascarpone and parm, and just squeeze a little lemon juice on top of everything. It comes together in no time and is a hit at our house. Thanks, Deb, for this great recipe!
Sometimes life just needs to be simple and that is what this is as well as pure perfection. My personal taste I am going to double the spinach next time but other than that this will be a regular in our house now! As are most of debs recipes!
I love this dish! So easy and delicious. I did add shallots with the garlic and my family loved it! Thank you
LOVE THIS! As a mom of teens not in NYC- Subbed what I have on hand, so that would be final bits of Parmesan, some crumbled feta and some dollops of cream cheese for creaminess. Used collards cut into smaller strips and added some onion. It was SO good and so quick and easy. We will definitely make again.
Could I sub thinly sliced kale in place of the spinach ?
Yes
This is EXCELLENT! So easy to make and everyone loves it. My compliments to the chef
I made this tonight and it was AWESOME. I made a few minor modifications: I used 3 garlic cloves; I added a few dashes of crushed red pepper when I was sautéing the garlic and spinach; I doubled the spinach. To prevent my ravioli from sticking I put a drizzle of oil down before the 1/2 cup water and while the ravioli was steaming, gave it a couple quick shakes. Finally, in addition to the generous 6 tbsp of mascarpone, which I mixed with the (mushroom) ravioli, I also dolloped another 4-5 tbsp on top of the ravioli, under the parmesan, to broil. Great fast winter dinner.
I just made this last night for the first time, but added some halved cherry tomatoes I had laying around when I baked off the leftovers for lunch. The recipe was already great, but here to report that adding some tomatoes contributes a nice brightness to the dish! I’ll add them for sure next time!
Can I make this with fresh mozzarella ?
I’d think so!
Deb, first…love you and your recipes. Question; can this be made and assembled but put under broiler later in the day. I find my best chance of not ordering in or going out for dinner is to make it in the morning when I have energy.
Yes, but it might help to zhuzh it with a splash of water or more cream because pasta will keep “drinking” as it rests until there’s no sauciness left.
Restaurant good and oh so easy!!!! Thank you.
Just made this for dinner tonight with TJ’s lemon ricotta ravioli. YU-HUM. So easy and delish – Next time I will add some roasted pine nuts.
Question — could you brown the ravioli in the pan after steaming them? Would love to try this – or rather a variation this summer — but turning on my oven/broiler at all in my tiny NYC apt right now would be masochistic….
A favorite recipe but no spinach. Did have leftover roasted cauliflower and cabbage- another SK fav, and used it in place of the spinach, it was amazing! #UseWhatYouHave
My husband had surgery yesterday and I needed something easy, vegetarian for one of my kids, yummy and quick. This was absolutely perfect. We all enjoyed it very, very much. Thank you.
I knew this would be good so I bought a larger cast iron and doubled it. And yup. Everyone loved it.
Used Costco ravioli because inflation lol. Didn’t skip on the marscapone though. So good!
I love this recipe! It is hands down my favorite way to cook ravioli. When I had no ricotta or other mascarpone substitute, in a pinch I used an equal amount of marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Honestly it is really good either way!
So good and easy! I added sun-dried tomatoes after taking it out of the broiler to add some acid and tang. Yum.
I’ve posted before about this recipe; it’s one of our favorites for meatless Mondays. In a need to clean out my freezer, I decided to do it once again, only realizing too late I didn’t have creme fraiche which is what I use instead of the mascarpone. I used cream cheese and it worked just fine. No one could tell the difference.
I’m going to make the sauce and toss cooked (maybe browned not boiled) gnocchi into it all. Sounds dee-lish!
I need to make this! Any suggestions for the best pasta sub if I don’t have ravioli and am trying to clear some pantry items?
I think tortellini or even pierogies would make great subs for ravioli. I never keep fresh spinach in my refrigerator because it goes bad so quickly but I always have chopped leaf spinach in my freezer. It only takes a few minutes for it to thaw and use in soups, casseroles, and other dishes including omelets. If you don’t have mascarpone cheese available, you can always substitute cream cheese.
This is marvelous. Thank you for creating both easy and classy recipes.
I’m late to the party on this recipe but WOW. Rave reviews and sooo easy.
I did add some mushrooms (sauteed prior to spinach) and threw a few mozzarella pearls on the top before broiling. Only because I was trying to use up some items in the refrigerator. I will be making this again (and again).
Late to the party, but have made 3 times recently. The last with mozzarella and a bit of sour cream instead of the marscapone, and added grape tomatoes with the spinach. Was really good and will be on repeat. Thanks, Deb!