This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Super Easy Ravioli Piccata! Instead of sautéeing individual pieces of chicken, just add your favorite stuffed ravioli to my homemade piccata sauce and have it all on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Weeknight dinner, coming up lightning fast.
Ravioli piccata! Have you ever heard of it? Well, neither have I, to be completely honest. But if you’ve made the traditional version, you know dredge chicken cutlets in flour and then sear it in a hot pan. Then toss it in a lemon caper sauce and call it chicken piccata, then if you do the same with chicken stuffed pasta – it’s, ravioli piccata? You may not agree with the name but wait until you taste your favorite ravioli tossed in my homemade piccata sauce. I’m pretty sure the fam is going to love it, and you’ll be equally pleased with how little time it takes to get this on the table. Add it to the weekly rotation for your extra busy nights!
And hey, if you’re super fancy, and feel like you need to bust out your pasta maker and make your own ravioli, first of all, I love you and second, I want to be you. I can only imagine how much more delicious this recipe would taste if you made the pasta from scratch. Then, stuffed it full of your favorite ravioli filling, and tossed in my lemon butter caper sauce. Yum-o! But for times when you wait until 5 pm to figure out dinner, and we’ve all had those days. You know, when scrambled eggs and or frozen pizza has already happened this week. A pack of store-bought ravioli is a life saver for a semi-homemade meal.
I have made so much chicken piccata in my lifetime that I’m at a point where I need to skip the chicken altogether and simply toss pasta in piccata sauce and call it a day. I mean there’s the creamy version and the one rustic kind with meatballs — which is both fun to eat and easy to make and great for when you want to serve it with grilled bread on the side on a cold winter night. But this time around we’re swapping the chicken for ravioli — the kind that you find in the refrigerated section of grocery stores and then bringing it home and tossing it up in a homemade lemon butter sauce that’s rich and lemony and omgosh, of course, there’s garlic too.
What is ravioli piccata?
Piccata refers to a type of meat that’s usually sliced and seared in a hot pan then served with lemon butter and caper sauce. Ravioli piccata is just ravioli (stuffed with whatever you like) tossed in that same sauce. So instead of serving pasta on the side, as many people do, we go directly for the pasta as the main!
Seriously, we’re talking dinner of champs here.
How to make ravioli piccata video:
What ingredients do you need to make ravioli piccata?
- ravioli
- butter
- garlic
- flour
- chicken stock (veggie works too)
- capers
- lemon juice
What kind of ravioli works best for this recipe?
Truth be told, any kind!
- chicken and mushroom
- spinach and mozzarella
- ricotta
- porcini mushroom
- lobster or seafood
- sausage and kale
Where can I find fresh ravioli?
In the refrigerated section of your grocery store! Usually, it’s close to where you find the pre-shredded cheese or butter.
How to make ravioli piccata:
- PRO TIP: boil the ravioli for one minute less than what the package instructions suggest, this is so we don’t overcook the pasta later
- make the sauce: saute the garlic, flavor it with lemon juice and capers, then add pads of butter so it helps thicken the sauce
- toss in the ravioli until the sauce coats all the pasta nicely
- serve warm!
How to serve ravioli piccata:
I used a mushroom ravioli and served this along with baked salmon. There are tons of options for sides.
- addition roasted veggies
- spatchcock chicken
- sautéed shrimp
- roasted veggies
- baked salmon
- garlic butter roasted brussels sprouts
- fish sticks
- garlic bread – forever and always
- side salad
We’re taking a detour on the traditional chicken piccata and skipping right to the good stuff. If you like chicken piccata then surely you’re going to love my ravioli piccata too!
Super Easy Weeknight Ravioli Piccata
Ingredients
- 2 9-10 ounce packages of ravioli (see notes)
- 4 tablespoons cold butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken chicken stock or vegetable
- 3 tablespoons capers plus 2 tsp caper brine
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- chopped parsley + red pepper flakes for topping
Instructions
- BOIL: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water liberally, then add the ravioli and cook for 1 minute less than package directions, drain and set aside.
- SAUCE: Start with the sauce while the ravioli is boiling. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a large saute pan set over medium heat. Be sure to place the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter back in the refrigerator for now. Once it melts, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the flour and whisk. Allow the flour to cook for 30 seconds, then slowly drizzle in the chicken broth with one hand, while you continue to whisk with the other hand. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, before adding the capers, brine, and lemon juice.
- FINISH: Lower heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 1 minute. Cut the remaining butter into 3 and add them in and allow them to melt slowly as you stir. This will help thicken the sauce a little. Add the cooked ravioli into the skillet. The sauce should thicken significantly once the ravioli sits for a minute or so. Top with chopped parsley and/or red pepper flakes, and serve immediately!
Notes
- you can use just about any kind of ravioli you like, sausage, cheese, or my favorite, the mushroom variety!
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
This was super easy and everyone loved it. I used refrigerated tortellini and added some lemon zest to the sauce because we wanted it really lemony. A little Parmesan to finish when serving and this one will go on repeat. Thanks for a great recipe
I forgot to rate in my previous comment 🙂
Hi Marzia, I’ve made this several times and it’s amazing! Typically Spinach/cheese ravioli and I occasionally top with bellas and asparagus. Question: I’d like to prep ahead for a dinner party tonight. Can I make it all ahead and reheat of perhaps just the sauce? Many thanks!
I make an amazing ravioli sauce with olive oil,, butter, garlic, mushrooms, Italian spices, tomatoes and spinach (or sweet potato leaves from the garden).
Oh my gosh this was absolutely DELICIOUS! Savory and lemony all at once. So addicting and a real crowd pleaser for the whole family. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I used to make a similar sauce for ravioli but this one is my new go-to! I love how it sticks to the pasta and your suggestion to boil the ravioli for a shorter time and finish in the sauce resulted in a perfectly al dente bite.
The sauce packs a briny, lemony punch and paired well with lobster ravioli. I can’t wait to try it with other fillings!
What a novel way to enjoy piccata sauce. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you!
So happy to hear it was enjoyed! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
Yes! Thank you!
I had a couple pounds of salmon ravioli and wanted a light, non-cream based or tomato sauce and couldn’t find the inspiration until I saw this! So easy, so flavorful, fresh and light. Thank you, thank you!
Yum! Salmon ravioli sounds amazing in that piccata sauce! So happy to hear it was thoroughly enjoyed, Nancie 🙂