Ravioli is an Italian type of pasta filled with various ingredients such as ricotta cheese and spinach. Ravioli is often served in a sauce or broth and is usually square-shaped. However, ask people about side dishes to serve with ravioli, and you’ll have a much more difficult time picking the best sides.
One of the most delicious pasta dishes from Italy, these mouthwatering bites exude rich flavors – literally. Drizzled in sauce and sprinkled with lots of nutty hard cheeses (parmesan, pecorino) and you have an exquisite meal on your hands.
From traditional Italian sides to modern classics, check out these fantastic side dish ideas for serving with your ravioli.
Best Side Dishes to Serve With Ravioli
1. Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli Rabe, also known as Rapini, is not technically broccoli at all. However, this Mediterranean cuisine staple served with ravioli in Italy is popular with butternut squash ravioli.
Add in some sun-dried tomatoes, some romesco sauce, and you will have a delicious and flavorful feast to enjoy.
If you want to take it to the next level, then sautee your Rapini in extra-virgin olive oil and a little crushed garlic.
2. Oven-Roasted Vegetables
Another staple of Mediterranean cuisine is over-roasted vegetables.
Combine onions, tomatoes, zucchinis, and a little olive oil, and roast in the oven to enjoy a rustic and sweet side dish to serve with your ravioli.
Combine oven-roasted vegetables with ravioli dishes with lighter sauce or broth combinations to create a better texture contrast.
You can also use different vegetable combinations like carrots, turnips, broccoli, or peppers.
Finally, add a little salt and pepper once roasted for an added burst of flavor.
3. Garlic Bread
Garlic bread goes with almost any Italian food, but pasta dishes especially. You can serve crusty, thick cuts of garlic bread with practically any ravioli, be it spinach and ricotta or creamy mushroom ravioli.
Garlic bread makes the perfect side dish because it tastes fantastic and is so quick and easy.
You can go for shop-bought garlic bread, or you can make your own easily. Just place it in a pre-heated oven for the required amount of time and enjoy.
4. Sun-dried tomatoes
Sun-dried tomatoes are a good combination with most ravioli sauces as they complement the flavors well and add some added texture and additional sweetness.
5. Roasted zucchini
Zucchini (courgette) on its own is still a great side dish for ravioli, especially the butternut squash variety with a delicious sauce. Courgette has a strong flavor, and the texture is similar to that of eggplant but not quite as velvety.
6. Roasted eggplant
Chop up some eggplant (aubergine) into even-sized chunks, brush lightly with olive oil, add some sea salt, and place in the oven until well roasted.
Eggplant works equally well with thick or thin sauces and broths. This delicious and creamy vegetable tastes unbelievable with spinach and ricotta ravioli.
Please give it a go if you’ve never tried it.
7. Potato gratin
Creamy potato gratin is not a usual dish to serve with ravioli, especially as it is carb on carb. But some people love that, and no judgment here.
Potato gratin works best with sweeter ravioli dishes and allows you to add some earthiness to the plate. In addition, it has its own sauce, which will enable you to pass up creating a sauce for your ravioli at all. Alright, it is not traditional, but the taste is still something special.
8. Tomato sauce
Homemade tomato sauces, ragus, and passatas can make delicious bases for ravioli that can be paired with most of the other items on this list.
Gently heat some sauce in a pan while you quickly pan fry strained ravioli in a little butter for 5-10 seconds. Once the sauce has heated up after a couple of minutes with gentle stirring you can spoon out 2-3 tablespoons of delicious tomato-based sauce over your ravioli.
Conclusion
There are so many excellent options you can choose between when it comes to finding suitable side dishes and pairing ideas for what to serve with ravioli. In this article, we’ve gone over some of the best and most popular options. Give one of them a go and enjoy!