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.
looks delicious….just mouthwatering!
It really is! Seriously – my family just had this for dinner a few days ago, and this morning my son was already requesting it again! ~Shelley
Thanks Shelley and Gretchen – another delicious and easy recipe! I made this Sunday for a quick family lunch and everyone enjoyed it. I took your suggestion and prepped the sausage, peppers and onions ahead of time. When the boys arrived back from soccer and my daughter had finished her piano lesson, it was tossed together in no time at all. I was lucky enough to find ravioli stuffed with goat’s cheese and caramelized red onions – delicious!
Hey, Melinda! Really thrilled your family liked this, and we truly appreciate you taking a moment to pop by and let us know how it worked for you! And … ok … we are SO TOTALLY JEALOUS! Goat’s cheese and caramelized onion ravioli?!?!? You Brits have ravioli figured out, for sure! We may need you to send us some … 😀 ~G&S
All those peppers are beautiful! What a great dish, I’m definitely pinning this to make for a quick dinner this week! Thanks so much!
Hi, Pamela! So excited for you to try this! It’s just so good and so easy – we’ve both made it for our own families (again!) in the last week! Yum!!! ~G&S
Had this “cheesy, three pepper, ravioli with Italian sausage” for dinner tonight and it was “lightning fast”. And, perhaps more important, it was delicious!
So glad this was such a hit! Thanks so much for stopping by to let us know how it went! ~G&S
I love when a delicious meal comes together quickly and is still healthy! Most people would be tempted to hit up a drive through, but I bet this came together quicker than waiting in line – there’s no more excuse for anyone to have greasy french fries 🙂
Hi Kelly! Yep – it’s so fast! We’ve got a hectic evening already in the works for tonight … so I’m making this!! I know it will be on the table in no time! And you’re exactly right … there are no excuses for greasy french fries!! Blech!!! 😀 ~Gretchen