Lightning-Fast Cheesy Three-Pepper Ravioli with Italian Sausage
~ This delicious ravioli skillet dinner is on the table in about 20 minutes! It’s one of my family’s all-time favorite meals for busy weeknights. Healthy, fast and bursting with flavorful peppers, sausage and cheesy ravioli! ~
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less •
A few weeks ago, my whole family came rushing into the house at dinnertime after a wonderfully busy, really fun day together. We were all ravenous. But the mom in this story didn’t have an idea in her head about what to make for dinner (uhhhh … yeah … that would be me …).
But did I panic? No way!
You see, I have a superhero mommy cape, complete with a secret, lifesaving weapon (a ridiculously well-stocked pantry!).
That’s exactly how this lightning-fast dinner was created.
I quickly rummaged in the freezer … Yay – yummy ravioli!
The fridge … Score – sausage and parm!
Then I grabbed for whatever produce I happened to have … peppers left over from photographing our Rainbow Pepper Salsa, an onion (I’ve always got one of those hanging around), and some lovely little tomatoes that were sitting on my counter.
Done!
Seriously – in the time it took my family to clear the table of all the homework, half-finished art projects and miscellaneous small toys, I had dinner on the table.
And it was a ginormous hit! Soooooo delicious! As in … I’ve-made-it-at-least-three-more-times-in-the-last-few-weeks-because-we-love-it-that-much … delicious!
The onions are meltingly sweet, the peppers are seared but still just a little crunchy, and the sausage is perfectly browned. To top it off, there’s the refreshing, juicy acidity of the tomatoes and the salty kick of the parmesan.
It’s crazy-good for something so quick and simple. Ahhhh … that’s the magic of the mommy cape.
You want a superhero mommy cape, too? No problem! You’ve come to the right place. (Oh … and we also specialize in daddy capes, wife capes and best-boyfriend-ever-to-make-this-amazing-dinner capes …)
Just keep this dinner in your back pocket, even if you’re not sure which night of the week you’ll end up serving it. The ravioli and sausage will wait for you for days or even weeks. And the produce, although fresh, is all stuff that you can find in most grocery stores year-round and that will easily keep for several days or more. Those peppers are gonna be just as yummy on Friday or Saturday as they would have been back on Monday, right!?!? (Ka-pow! Secret-weapon, well-stocked pantry!)
Wanna get dinner on the table even faster? You can chop the peppers, onions and sausage earlier in the day or even the night before and store them in separate containers in the fridge.
Then … Shazam! In about 20 minutes, dinner is done and you’re lookin’ like a superhero!
Lightning-Fast Cheesy Three-Pepper Ravioli with Italian Sausage
A delicious skillet dinner that's on the table in about 20 minutes. Healthy, fast and bursting with flavorful peppers, sausage and cheesy ravioli!
• Ready in 30 Minutes or Less •
Ingredients
- 1 medium red pepper
- 1 medium green pepper
- 1 medium yellow pepper
- 2 small-medium red onions
- 12 ounces precooked Italian-style chicken sausage (we use Johnsonville 3-cheese sausages with cheese, red bell peppers and garlic)
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 24 ounces frozen small round cheese ravioli (we use Rosetto)
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Give your peppers and onions a quick, rough chop so they're in large, bite-size pieces similar to the size you'd use for shish kabobs. You should have about 3 3/4 - 4 cups of peppers and about 4 cups of onions. Cut the sausages into 1/2-inch rounds.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add peppers, onions, and sliced sausage. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until peppers and onions are tender and the vegetables and sausage have developed some seared spots.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook ravioli as directed on package (about 5 minutes). Drain.
- While the pepper mixture and pasta are cooking, cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise (to equal about 1 1/2 - 2 cups).
- Remove pepper mixture from heat. Add tomatoes and stir to combine so they get warmed through but aren't mushy.
- At this point, you can transfer the pepper mixture to a large serving bowl, or simply leave it in the skillet and finish the recipe right in the pan.
- Add drained ravioli, parmesan, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and black pepper, and stir to combine.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Ravioli: We always recommend whole-grain pasta when possible, but the whole-wheat ravioli available in our stores is significantly higher in fat than the ravioli we chose to use here. Also, there is a notable difference in the fat content of various brands of traditional, frozen ravioli. Read the labels carefully. We encourage you to choose higher-fiber, organic or all-natural products whenever it's feasible.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 11 servings Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 249Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 740mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 15g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
I couldn’t agree with you more about the well stocked kitchen. It’s the key to eating healthy in my opinion! If you have it you will eat it 🙂 My staple is almonds. I’m a notorious snacker and I love to have something to healthy to munch on. Raw or roasted, almonds always do the trick.
So true – it’s much easier to eat healthfully if you can grab nutritious pantry staples on even the crazy-busiest nights! And, I’m sooooo with you on almonds! I love the flavor and keep almond extract on hand (ha – the well-stocked pantry strikes again, right!?!?) to sneak into all sorts of desserts and fruit dips – yum! So, this may sound like shameless self-promotion, but seriously – if you love almonds like I do, you’ve gotta try our Tropical Snack Bites with Almonds and Chia. Keep them in the freezer and you’ve got instant Almond-Palooza! Yay! Thanks for stopping by, Sharon! 😀 ~ Shelley
Mom to the rescue! Perfect.
Haha! That rescue thing – it’s in the mommy job description, right?!?!? 😀 ~Shelley
Can I have a daughter cape, pretty please?? This dish sounds amazing, fresh and super delicious. I cannot get enough of quick dinner meals, these are a must at home since I have to go to school, train and work in the fields now… exhausting, I tell you! But this is the perfect recipe for those hectic nights, thanks for the idea!
And my favorite pantry ingredient has to be greek yogurt. It works well in both savory and sweet dishes… Although I like to keep fresh veggies and grilled chicken on hand as well. Oh, and cooked frozen quinoa and brown rice… These are so handy! x
Hey, Consuelo! Total stroke of luck – would you believe we just got our brand-new shipment of daughter capes yesterday and one is in the FedEx overnight to you right this minute!?!? Your days sound so crazy-busy, though – we’re thinking you might need two! Oh, and Greek yogurt, frozen quinoa and rice … those are definitely awesome secret weapons to keep under your cape. Ka-pow! 😀 ~G&S
Shelley, That’s a HIT with the Grandparents for sure!
YUM!!
So glad you liked it, Sandy! I have to admit – I actually ate leftovers for both breakfast (no, really!) and lunch yesterday (and pilfered a couple of ravioli straight out of the fridge for snacks). Sooooo good! ~Shelley
You have no idea how much my guys love sausage and peppers! I’m about to head out for some food shopping and I’m adding this to the list!! I’m gonna have some happy guys tonight. Thanks 😀
By the way, I too love having a stocked pantry. I often get made fun of for having so much food. My pantry is like a mini grocery store. Lol
Oh, Cindy! I’m feeling so vindicated right now! Mini grocery store – lol! Yes, I think that’s how Gretchen views my cupboards (as she laughs mercilessly at me!). She has actually equated my spice drawer to Penzeys (which I take as a huge compliment, so I’ve decided I don’t care if she laughs!). I’m so glad I’m not the only one! Hope your guys loved this as much as we do! ~Shelley