17 Mouth-Watering Ravioli Side Dishes (for the ultimate Italian dinner!)
The BEST side dishes for ravioli! Here’s exactly what to serve with ravioli to create a totally delicious dinner.
Ah ravioli. Those pillowy pockets of goodness that just ooze rich, savory flavor.
Whether you like your ravioli filled with ricotta cheese, beef, pork, or lobster, or prefer a tomato sauce or cream sauce, there are so many amazing ways to eat it.
In case you’re looking for what to serve with ravioli, I’ve put together a list of the best side dishes to pair with it (plus a few wine and dessert ideas!)
Okay, let’s plan your ravioli dinner menu!
Ravioli Side Dishes
1. Garlic bread
If you’re going to serve ravioli, you simply must include garlic bread.
Italian bread, slathered with garlic butter, and baked until ooey gooey is like a gift.
Not only does it taste fabulous, but it’ll help you sop up any leftover sauce on your plate.
2. Spring salad
Pasta dishes pair so well with a delicious Italian salad.
Arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and feta cheese has so much flavor, and is basically guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
But any refreshing salad with tons of veggies would work well, so make your favorite one!
3. Broccoli rabe
Another healthy side dish for ravioli is sauteed broccoli rabe.
Toss it in olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, to mirror the Italian flavors of the main dish
You can finish it with a squeeze of lemon for brightness.
It looks and feels more special than regular old broccoli, and has a different flavor too.
4. Bruschetta
Bruschetta is toasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and often fresh tomatoes and basil.
The best part is the balsamic vinegar drizzle you add at the end.
It’s super easy to make, but looks like an extremely elevated appetizer or side dish from a restaurant.
5. Garlic parmesan green beans
Pair these garlic parmesan green beans with cheese ravioli to have a vegetarian meal that’ll thrill even the biggest meat-lovers at the table.
It’s truly amazing how a couple simple ingredients can transform into something really memorable.
For more color, saute some grape tomatoes right along with the green beans.
6. Creamy polenta
Velveety, buttery polenta is light and fluffy, while feeling super indulgent.
Yellow polenta gets combined with butter and cream cheese to create something magical and impressive.
7. Sourdough rolls
If traditional dinner rolls are good, these sourdough rolls are really REALLY good.
So soft. So fluffy. So tender.
You can buy them in your store’s bakery, but for a very special meal, consider making them at home.
8. Creamy potato gratin
White cheddar cheese, Yukon gold potatoes, dijon mustard, chicken stock, and a touch of cream create this highly addictive side dish.
It’s special enough for holidays and Sunday dinners, but any day is a good day for creamy potato gratin.
9. Caesar salad
How is it that romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese and caesar dressing is SO delicious?
No one knows for sure.
There are some delicious store bought dressings out there, but for a special dinner, make your caesar salad dressing from scratch.
10. Prosciutto wrapped asparagus
Prosciutto wrapped asparagus is an extremely elevated appetizer or great side dish.
All you need is asparagus spears, prosciutto, and olive oil, and you’ll look like serious chef material.
11. Charcuterie board
No matter how many or few guests you plan to serve, a charcuterie board will always be a hit.
It’s basically an elevated meat and cheese board that everyone will enjoy picking at before and during the meal.
Any combination of cured meats like salami and prosciutto, hard and soft cheeses, crackers, olives, nuts, and fruit turns into something really special when arranged neatly on a wooden board.
12. Soup
Serving a cup of soup with your ravioli meal will make everyone feel like they’re eating at an Italian restaurant.
Minestrone and zuppa toscana are both delicious Italian soup options!
13. Antipasto salad
Antipasto salad is a traditional Italian salad that includes chopped romaine, provolone or mozzarella cheese, sliced meat, cherry tomatoes, and pepperoncini.
If you’re serving a person who eats a keto or low carb diet, they can eat this salad as their meal while the rest of you feast on ravioli.
14. Oven roasted vegetables
Cipollini onions, carrots, brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes roasted along with garlic cloves is a simple but delicious Italian side dish.
Toss everything in olive oil and roast on a baking sheet in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
15. Fried zucchini
You’ve gotta try this crispy parmesan fried zucchini.
The savory panko and parmesan coated tender zucchini bites are pretty much the most delicious way you can eat zucchini.
They have a light and airy crunch, and the Italian seasoning ensures there’s lots of flavor.
16. Charred sugar snap peas
Sugar snap peas are sweet and crunchy, and you can conveniently eat the whole pod.
By giving the peas a quick char, and seasoning them with sea salt, red pepper flakes, and a squeeze of lemon, you’ll have a light side dish for your ravioli.
They’re actually kind of addictive!
17. Panzanella salad
Panzanella salad is a Tuscan chopped salad, made with toasted bread, onions, ripe tomatoes, and tossed in a tangy homemade vinaigrette.
(Yep, you read that right. Bread.)
It has that rustic appearance and authentic flavor that’ll make you feel like you’re having dinner in someone’s backyard in Italy.
Dessert ideas for ravioli
If you really want to go out and impress your guests, add a dessert to the menu.
Tiramisu or Italian cream cheese and ricotta cheesecake both have those amazing sweet flavors to finish off the meal.
Drinks to serve with ravioli
A good cocktail or fancy coffee drink is another way to complete your special dinner.
Here are the best Italian cocktails and drinks for ravioli:
- Aperol spritz
- Prosecco negroni
- Sangria
- Italian coffee
- Red or white wine
How to serve ravioli
Now that we’ve discussed what side dishes to have with ravioli, let’s talk about different ways you can serve it!
What sauce to eat with ravioli
There are a variety of sauces you can choose from for your ravioli dinner.
The best sauces for ravioli or tortellini are:
- Marinara sauce
- Tomato sauce with beef
- Cream sauce
- Alfredo sauce
- Pesto
- Creamy cheese sauce
- Romesco sauce
What meat goes with ravioli?
The best meat you can use for homemade ravioli is:
- Ground beef
- Ground turkey
- Italian sausage
- Ground lamb
- Lobster
Ready to serve some of these ravioli side dishes?
I hope this list of what to serve with ravioli has given you lots of inspiration for making a fabulous Italian dinner.
From lobster ravioli to cheese ravioli, these al dente pasta squares are sure to please, and there’s an idea for everyone.
So whether you take help from your grocery store’s freezer section, or make homemade ravioli out of fresh pasta from scratch, you can’t go wrong with any of these tasty combinations!
The BEST side dishes for ravioli! Here’s exactly what to serve with ravioli to create a totally delicious dinner. 1. Decide which side dishes you'd like to serve with your ravioli dinner
What to Serve with Ravioli
Ingredients
Instructions
2. Gather the ingredients and prepare the meal
3. Serve your amazing Italian dinner and enjoy
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