If you are looking for a quick pasta dish to make on a busy weeknight, you will love this Italian sausage ravioli with alfredo sauce and spinach. It is comforting, creamy, and so easy to make. Ready in around 30 minutes, this pasta dish is quick, flavorful, and one of our family favorites.
With a full-time job and 2 teens in the house, our weeknights can be busy and hectic. When I plan our weekly meals, there is always a pasta dish for out of our dinners. This pasta recipe is one of our favorites. With five ingredients and ready in around 30 minutes, you will have dinner on the table in no time, no matter how busy your life is.
In order for this meal to come together so quickly, I have come up with little shortcuts that save me time. I like to make this easy pasta dish with a store-bought Alfredo sauce. I always make sure to have tomato sauce and alfredo sauce in my pantry. It makes this recipe so quick to make and most stores now carry so many different brands of Alfredo sauce, that you are sure to find one your family will love.
Why you will love making this Ravioli with Italian sausage, alfredo sauce, and spinach
Quick and easy weeknight meal – There is nothing better than a delicious meal that everyone will love that comes together quickly and does not require a ton of ingredients. After a long day of work, the last thing we want to be doing is going home and spending hours making dinner. As the Italian sausage, the spinach, and the alfredo sauce are cooking, the ravioli is cooked as well and then all is combined to marry all the wonderful flavors together.
Versatile pasta recipe – We have made so many different variations when it comes to pasta recipes. The recipe I am sharing now is made with Italian mild sausage, spinach, Alfredo sauce, and ravioli. But any protein or veggies you like and have on hand can be used.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Mild Italian Sausage – We really enjoy the flavor of mild Italian sausage, but for a little bit of a kick, you can opt for the spicy one. You can also use any ground meat you like. If you have any leftover chicken or steak, use that here as well.
- Alfredo Sauce – In order to make this recipe in under 30 minutes, we need to use as less ingredients as possible and a store-bought Alfredo sauce really helps to save time. There is no shame in my game here :). Feel free to use your favorite Alfredo sauce, four-cheese sauce, or roasted garlic, or of course, feel free to use a homemade one you have made.
- Ravioli – I used cheese ravioli pasta for this recipe but feel free to use any kind of pasta you like such as tortellini, rotini, rigatoni, elbow pasta, just to name a few.
- Spinach – I love adding spinach to a lot of my pasta dishes. It is a great way to add leafy green vegetables. Spinach is packed with several vitamins and minerals, and it is great for our overall health. My daughter is not the biggest fan of green leafy veggies, like most kiddos, but spinach wilts down so much when it is cooked, that it almost hides within the other ingredients so she does not mind it at all. You can also use kale or any other leafy vegetable you like.
- Cheese – For this recipe, I am using Italian-style shredded cheese but feel free to use any cheese you like. You can use Swiss, goat, parmesan, or mozzarella cheese just to name a few.
- Seasonings – Salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder are all you need for this recipe but use other spices your family loves. Red pepper flakes for a little bit of a kick would also be great here.
How to make these easy ravioli with sausage, alfredo, and spinach recipe
Start by heating a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add the Italian ground sausage to the pan. Cook it by breaking it up into small pieces using a wooden spoon or my favorite meat chopper. I love this little kitchen tool and I can’t imagine cooking ground meat without it. It helps so much with breaking any ground meat into smaller pieces. While the meat is cooking, chop the spinach and once the meat is cooked, add the spinach to the pan and let it wilt down.
In the meantime, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, add the ravioli, and cook according to the instructions. Cook stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. When draining, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
When the meat and spinach are cooked, add the jar of Alfredo sauce. Add a little bit of warm water to the jar, close the lid, and shake gently to gather all of that delicious sauce. Add it to the pan. Cook the sauce on medium-low heat until it starts to thicken. Cook it until your desired thickness. You can add some of that reserved pasta water if you like your pasta sauce to be more liquid. Add half of a cup of shredded cheese to the sauce and then add the ravioli. Stir well to combine it all.
Serve and enjoy warm. I love these bowls for our pasta dishes. They are perfect for pasta dishes, rice dishes, salads and so much more!
Other recipes I think you will love!
Easy 20-minute Egg Roll in a Bowl
Creamy Chicken Stuffed Peppers
Ground Beef Stir Fry with Rice and Spinach
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Italian Sausage Ravioli Alfredo with Spinach
Materials
- 1 lb. cheese ravioli frozen or refrigerated
- 1 lb. Italian ground mild sausage
- 15 ounces Alfredo sauce
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- 1/2 cups shredded cheese any kind you like
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add ravioli and cook just to al dente, according to package instructions.
- Drain and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water (or more if you prefer your pasta sauce more liquidy)
- While the ravioli cooks, make the sauce. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mild Italian sausage and cook for 4-5 minutes, until well-browned and cooked through. Season it with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir and break apart the pieces as you go.
- When cooked, add the spinach and cook until it wilts down.
- When the meat and spinach are cooked, add the jar of Alfredo sauce. Add a little bit of warm water to the empty jar, close the lid, and shake gently to gather all of that delicious sauce that is left over on the sides of the jar. Pour it into the pan. Cook the sauce on medium-low heat until it starts to thicken. Cook it until your desired thickness.
- Add half of a cup of shredded cheese (or more, if desired) to the sauce, and then add the ravioli. Stir well to combine it all.
- Serve and enjoy!
