Hey guys! Welcome back to The Vegetarian Carnivore and Happy October! Those of you who know me personally know that I go absolutely nuts over the fall and winter months for many reasons. One of those reasons is the license to cook and bake themed goodies to my heart’s content. Given that these upcoming few months are The Vegetarian Carnivore’s very first autumn and winter seasons, I have been thinking about how to go out with a bang! This month I am something very special planned for you guys (a bunch of fall themed recipes!!). And what better way to ring in October than with a whole hoard of autumn themed recipes? Pumpkin is just one of those really easy-to-work-with-goes-on-everything ingredients, and it tastes amazing too! I’m very excited to kick off October and this fall themed series with this recipe for an easy and delicious pumpkin ravioli sauce that whips itself up in 15 minutes!
Hello, Fall…
Now, I absolutely love the fall because it gives me an excuse to play not only with pumpkin, but also those really lovely and warm earthy spices that are absolutely welcome when it’s chilly out. And what a coincidence – it happens to be raining cats and dogs outside as I am sitting here writing this up.
Pumpkins!
Cooking with pumpkins takes me back to high school, when I was writing for my local county newspaper. I wrote an article especially about how pumpkins scream fall and I remember my mom taking me to Trader Joe’s (I had just got my license and still needed adult supervision LOL) and coming back with a whole bag full of their pumpkin and fall collection. From their pumpkin ravioli to their pumpkin pancake mix, they had really thought of everything. And while I have not gone to Trader Joe’s yet for their fall themed stuff this year, you can bet I will be going either today or tomorrow 😉
And that brings us to this recipe. It was inspired by Trader Joe’s pumpkin ravioli, but I wanted to switch it up. Instead of putting the pumpkin inside the ravioli, why not use traditional cheese ravioli and jazz up the sauce? So that is exactly what I did. And I know you guys are going to love it! The results are just incredible. It is buttery, rich, creamy, and tastes like fall in a bowl. You do not want to miss out on this! Keep in mind that I made a large quantity at once because I am using it as meal prep for the week. You know, to make my coworkers jealous over my delicious lunch 😉
So I used pumpkin pie spice in the recipe. It contains nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves, and is the perfect addition to all fall recipes because the blend adds a lovely warmth to your dish. But don’t worry if you don’t have it or if your grocery store has run out (they sell like hot cakes during this season). You can always mix the ingredients together if you have them separately in your pantry. There is no crazy ingredient that you can’t find by itself at the store. I did not use any extra salt in this recipe because I find that the cheese ravioli has enough for me, but if you find yourself needing more salt, add it in at the end! Remember: you can always add more, but undoing a bad decision is a lot harder. And of course, we’ve got Italian seasoning because we cannot forget that this is pasta, after all!
Ingredients
- 1 pack of your favorite cheese ravioli
- 2 tbs unsalted butter
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs multipurpose flour
- 2 cups of milk (keep an extra cup on hand)
- 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Parmesan, optional
- Parsley, to season
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to a simmer and drop in the ravioli. The water should never boil or your ravioli might break. Just keep it at a simmer and once you see the ravioli start to puff up and float, you know they are done. Give it about 7-8 minutes.
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt your butter and olive oil.
- Combine your flour to create a thick paste and turn down the flame.
- Add in your Italian seasoning and pumpkin pie spice and mix well.
- Whisk in two cups of milk and keep stirring to prevent lumps. Increase the heat to help it thicken.
- Mix in the pumpkin puree and stir to fully combine.
- I find that no matter what my sauce ends up too thick for my liking, so go ahead and add in the rest of the reserved milk to loosen up your sauce.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli directly from the pasta water into the sauce. I just love the effect the bit of starchy water has on the overall product.
- Season with parsley and Parmesan and enjoy!
The Results!
This recipe turned out absolutely beautifully! That extra milk really loosened up what would have otherwise been a too-thick sauce. It was light and creamy and refrigerated really well! I microwaved it for lunch today and it was delicious! It did not get clumpy, which was my primary concern. I think I used to shy away from using pumpkin because it is so seasonal, so I didn’t get a chance to really get acquainted with it. However, pumpkin puree is so versatile and I was able to totally revamp a regular cream sauce with just one ingredient!
Still wary about cooking with pumpkin? No worries – I’ve got another recipe in the works for you guys, featuring pumpkin!
I can’t wait for you to try this out! It’s simple, quick, and totally worth it! I also need ideas. If you have a recipe with a typical autumn ingredient in mind, share your idea with me below and it may make it into my autumn themed collection!
See you soon!
Janani <3 <3
I think this recipe is a no brainer considering October is finally here! I’m always willing to try new things and considering the in-laws are coming over next weekend I’ve just found the perfect dinner idea. I love that it doesn’t take require much ingredients, there’s not many instructions but looks absolutely delicious! You’ve gone and made a non-cooking man to a master chef Janani, so thanks a lot!
PS: Do you have any other pumpkin recipes?
Hi Brandon! I am so excited for you to try this out! I meal prepped it and it lasted in the fridge for 2 days! It took me only 15 minutes to make the sauce- boiling the pasta was the slower step LOL I am just kicking off my October/November series and will be adding more pumpkin dishes really soon! Stay tuned!
I must say that I enjoy in pumpkins in all shapes especially cooked. I have never tried anything similar like your recipe but it looks interesting and delicious for me. It is a light meal for these cold days that are coming. Do you have any recipe with pumpkin from the oven? I like baked dishes.
Hi Daniel! I also love all things pumpkin! I’m just kicking off the autumn series this year and will definitely be including baked pumpkin dishes too, so I definitely hope you make it back to my site soon.
I printed your recipe and am going to try it one day this week. You are speaking my language with any type of ravioli, and now is the perfect time for a pumpkin sauce. I’m a bit nervous because I’m a beginner cook, but the recipe seems simple enough.
Now, do you know how to make a squash ravioli? I eat frozen meals for lunch sometimes because I don’t have time to cook, and I am addicted to one that has squash ravioli with vegetables and a sauce. I’ve been wondering how I can make it without the salt and preservatives and enough for my whole family? It’s the sweet squash filling inside the ravioli that I love.
Hi Theresa! The recipe is a simple but delicious upgrade from a regular cream sauce, and I am sure you’re going to love the results! I love squash ravioli and you’ve just planted another recipe idea in my head for the next couple weeks! I will definitely make an easy butternut squash ravioli this autumn series and I hope you love it!
Hi Janani!
I would have never thought up such a mix! This is a very creative mixture. I can’t imagine how cheese ravioli would taste with pumpkin sauce, but I’m curious enough to try it out. My family is on a gluten free diet, so I’ll have to find some good ravioli first, then give the pumpkin sauce a try. I’m eager to see your other fall recipes because I usually brush right thru the seasons without much attention to how I could switch up my recipes. This year could be different. Bring the fall recipes on!
Thank you Tiffany, for your support! I am so glad you’re going to try this because it is such a simple upgrade from the standard cream sauce. Can’t wait to see how your dish turns out! I have gotten another request for butternut squash ravioli and I am now thinking of ways to make that recipe gluten friendly… So glad you made it on my site and hope to see you again!
Hi Janani. Thank you for sharing you ‘Pumpkin Ravioli Sauce’ recipe. It never ceases to amaze me just how versatile the Pumpkin is. It’s great used in so many recipes, including everything from soup to dessert. Now you’ve added Ravioli to the list. Not only do your pictures look fantastic, your recipe sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try it out. Will you be bring more pumpkin related recipes to us this October? Thanks Jim
Hi Jim! Pumpkin is so user friendly and versatile! I sometimes just throw it onto random dishes if I am feeling extra adventurous and I have always been so pleasantly surprised. I will definitely be bringing more pumpkin and fall vegetables to the website this fall and I am so excited for you to try them out!!
Janani,I am already a lover of pumpkin, but this recipe makes me even more so. Now, in simmering your water, do you mean that that is when the water is hot enough to cause little bubbles to migrate from the bottom of the pan to the top of the water but not a rolling boil? That is what I see as simmering. Pumpkin pie has always been a favorite of mine and I can only imagine that ravioli pumpkin will rank up there with it.Thanks for this great recipe.
Hi Thomas! You’re absolutely right – I mean that when little bubbles form at the bottom of your pot and start to rise. You want to avoid a rolling boil because that can break your ravioli pieces – it happens so quickly so keep an eye on it! Thank you so much for your comment and support and can’t wait to hear how the recipe turns out for you!
Janani,
I am already a lover of pumpkin, but this recipe makes me even more so. Now, in simmering your water, do you mean that that is when the water is hot enough to cause little bubbles to migrate from the bottom of the pan to the top of the water but not a rolling boil? That is what I see as simmering.
Pumpkin pie has always been a favorite of mine and I can only imagine that ravioli pumpkin will rank up there with it.
Thanks for this great recipe.
Thank you for this fabulous recipe!
I usually just roast pumpkins, but this has given me a new idea how to prepare something new when I roast them next time.
I am also going to try to entice my 3yr old twins to have this sauce.
Yes, autumn is just so lovely. The colors, festivities and the ‘permission’ for richer foods. Love it.
Looking forward to your next pumpkin recipe suggestion. 🙂
Best,
Alenka
Hi Alenka! Thank you for your comment! You have to let me know how your freshly roasted pumpkin turns out with this recipe and how your twins like it!
Best,
Janani
Fantastic article. Yes the fall has arrived and I love it cause hockey starts. When the fall season hits you can’t go wrong with anything pumpkin people love it. I would have never thought in a million years to make pumpkin ravioli sauce and my mouth was watering reading your article. With left overs how long can you keep it refrigerated and can you freeze it? I really look forward to more articles and would love to know if you make pumpkin pies as they are my favorite and I bet you make a mean one. I did also take a look a some of your articles and my 3 daughters I know would love your spaghetti quesadillas. Thank you for this great article and can’t wait to try it.
David
Thank you, David, for your comment and support on my articles! I know you’re going to love this one. I made this as meal prep on a Monday and refrigerated it until Thursday and it tasted amazing. It does not dry out (which is the biggest problem with refrigerating and microwaving I have run into). I have not frozen this, but I would venture a guess and say it would be just fine if you are thinking on making this a few weeks in advance! Just add the cheese when you decide to thaw and heat it! I will definitely make a pumpkin pie recipe this autumn season and hope to see you back again here to hear your thoughts!
Best, Janani