An easy vegetarian date night dinner, this luxurious mushroom ravioli is reminiscent of the Olive Garden’s Ravioli di Portobello with a smoked cheese cream sauce. Dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes!
Introducing my favorite sauce for mushroom ravioli…
A smoked cheese cream sauce! Sound good? IT IS. You’re welcome to save this one for a special occasion because it is very decadent and luxurious. But it is absolutely easy enough for an everyday weeknight meal. It’s ready in less than 30 minutes.
My starting point for this recipe was my white wine cream sauce for spinach pasta, which I then mashed together with the memory of the Olive Garden’s (an American chain restaurant for those unaware) Portobello di Ravioli dish. It has been years since I last ate there, but clearly it left an impression because when I hear mushroom ravioli I instantly want to bust out the smoked cheese!
It’s not a faithful copycat of the Olive Garden dish though, because I added wine and held off on the sundried tomatoes (for once). I felt like that better suited the type of mushroom ravioli we tend to get in UK supermarkets, which usually has truffle in it.
What you need to know about the ingredients…
There aren’t many, so we make them count!
- Any flavorful mushroom ravioli is good here. In the US, portobello mushroom ravioli seems to be the popular one in supermarkets, but in the UK they tend to be some kind of porcini / truffle combo. Either is good! Tortellini is fine too.
- I use a smoked cheddar, which is easy to find in the UK, but a smoked gouda would work too. You want to choose something that melts well. I tried with a Bavarian processed smoked cheese, just to see what would happen, and it didn’t integrate very easily into the sauce, so avoid those.
- Cherry tomatoes are a nice garnish, giving some juicy sweetness to cut through the richness of the sauce. A larger tomato that can be de-seeded and diced would work fine as an alternative.
Side Dish Ideas
This is very rich and filling, so if you want to add side dishes, just keep it simple!
- Steamed or roasted broccoli.
- A simple summer tomato salad.
- Roasted or sauteed asparagus.
- Sauteed kale.
- If you’re cooking for a larger group, try my Vegetarian Italian Salad with Crispy Chickpeas.
Ideas for your leftover smoked cheese
Mushroom Ravioli with Smoky Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 9 oz (250 g) mushroom ravioli
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for cooking
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) white wine
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) double (heavy) cream
- 1 cup (75 g) smoked cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, sliced
- 4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Instructions
- In a deep saute pan or shallow casserole dish, saute the garlic in olive oil until fragrant.2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Add the white wine to the pan and let it bubble for a few minutes until it starts to reduce.1/3 cup white wine
- Add the cream and cheese. Turn the heat down to a very low setting and gently mix the sauce until the cheese is melted through. Remove from the heat and set aside.2/3 cup double (heavy) cream, 1 cup smoked cheese
- Boil the mushroom ravioli according to package instructions.9 oz mushroom ravioli
- Once the pasta is cooked, scoop it out with a slotted spoon and add it to the sauce. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and chives and serve immediately.2 tbsp fresh chives, 4 cherry tomatoes
