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Lemon Butter Cheese Ravioli with Garlic Basil Breadcrumbs…truly THE best any night of the week dinner. Tossed in a lemon butter white wine pan sauce with spring asparagus and plenty of cheesy garlic breadcrumbs, this ravioli is delicious! Every bite is layered with delicious Italian flavors. When you’re in need of an easy, 30-minute dinner…make this ravioli!
When life hands you slightly wilted asparagus on its last leg, and a freezer full of ciabatta bread, you make cheese ravioli in a browned butter white wine pan sauce. Or at least that’s what I did, and it was surely one of my better decisions.
Guys, I’m telling you, this whole “avoid the grocery store” thing is working for me. It’s forcing me to get creative with the stockpile of ingredients that I have on hand. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait for the day when I can go back to my spur of the moment grocery store trips. But in an effort to see things in a positive way, I’m loving my new use what you got motto.
Case in point? This ravioli. I had one bunch of, on its last leg, asparagus that really needed to be used. Typically when it comes to asparagus, I roast it with a pat of butter and a little bit of lemon, just like my Nonnie used to do. Still,
I don’t often incorporate that method into many recipes. But then I got to thinking…pan-roasted asparagus with ravioli sounded pretty darn good.
I also knew I had two loaves of crusty ciabatta bread in my freezer. Naturally, breadcrumbs came to mind.
Lastly? Wine in the pantry? Obviously best used for a buttery white wine pan sauce. Yup, and there you go, I had my recipe all plotted out in my head…
Did you enjoy your quick glimpse into my brain? Just be happy it was quick…any longer and you’d be stressed.
Start with the ravioli. Mine are homemade because ravioli was something I didn’t have on hand. What I did have was flour, eggs, and cheese, so I made my own ravioli using my trusty stand mixer and ravioli attachment. It’s pretty easy but it does take time, so I’m telling you all to use your go-to store-bought ravioli.
Trust me, if I had a better store-bought option for cheese ravioli her in my mountain town, that’s what I’d be using. I recommend finding a simple cheese ravioli. Something with a tangy cheese filling like goat or gorgonzola would be delicious. But really just pick your favorite variety that you know you and your family will love.
Once you have your ravioli situation sorted out, make the breadcrumbs. You can use fresh breadcrumbs or store-bought Panko bread crumbs. Then simply add garlic, fresh or dried basil, and plenty of parmesan cheese. While breadcrumbs may seem like a simple addition, they add texture to the ravioli, and they taste just like your favorite garlic bread.
So. Very. Delicious.
Once the breadcrumbs are toasted, boil the ravioli, then move on to making the pan sauce.
First cook the asparagus in a little bit of olive oil. Then add the butter and brown. Next add plenty of fresh thyme, a touch of lemon, and a good splash of white wine. That’s the pan sauce…SO GOOD!
Now add the ravioli to the sauce, toss, and serve topped with the garlic basil breadcrumbs…does not get better, and so easy too.
For the breadcrumbs, I took my frozen ciabatta bread and pulsed it in the food processor until it was a fine crumb. If you have day-old bread and a food processor, I would recommend taking the time to do this. It’s a five-minute step, but it’s flavor and texture are completely worth the extra effort. That said, good ole’ pantry friendly Panko breadcrumbs work amazingly well too, so use what’s best for you personally.
If you don’t have asparagus in the fridge, you can really use whatever quicker cooking vegetable you do have. Spinach, broccoli, kale, frozen peas, or even shredded brussels sprouts would all work, and all would be delicious.
And as always, you can swap the fresh herbs for dried. That always works wonderfully too!
This recipe is all about the buttery white wine sauce, the asparagus, and those breadcrumbs.
The sauce is buttery, a touch lemony, and herby too. It’s my favorite (spring) combo.
Pan roasting the asparagus is a game-changer. The flavor stays intact, but the asparagus gets a little crisp on the edges…mmmm!
And the breadcrumbs? As I said, they taste like hints of garlic bread mixed with your ravioli. They add that garlicky, basily, salty touch that keeps everyone coming back for seconds.
Looking for some other ravioli ideas? Try these!
Brown Butter Brussels Sprout and Bacon Ravioli
Brown Butter Lobster Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce
Lastly, if you make this lemon butter cheese ravioli with garlic basil breadcrumbs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Another simple and delicious recipe. The fresh herbs and lemon really elevate the dish and the crunch of the breadcrumbs takes the recipe to another level. So good!
Thank you so much Ann!! I am really happy to hear that this turned out so wonderful for you! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted! I just recently discovered your blog and I’m obsessed! You are so creative and have amazing recipes and ideas. Trying your crock pot carve asade tacos tonight!
Thank you so much Sarah! xTieghan
I don’t like asparagus but HBH always posts a recipe each spring that prompts me to buy a bunch and give it a try. I still don’t love asparagus, but this recipe was just lovely. I am on a lemon butter kick recently (based on making another lemon butter recipe from another site). I ended up using a full package of frozen ravioli. The Parmesan breadcrumbs are really what made this recipe for me. I accidentally scorched the breadcrumbs so I had to start over, but it was so good. If you are thinking about skipping the breadcrumbs, don’t. They are what take this dish to the next level. Another restaurant worthy pasta recipe from Teighan.
That is so amazing!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Rachel! Thank you so much for trying this one! I hope you continue to enjoy others as well! xTieghan
Such great flavor! This is an excellent recipe.
Thank you so much Zoe! xTieghan
This was an amazing recipe! What an excellent way to dress up the cheap cheese ravioli I had in my freezer! I loved your idea of goat cheese, so we sprinkled it over top of the dish for just a hint of creaminess. So good!
I grow Lemon Thyme in my herb garden (Thymus citriodorus), and if you haven’t tried it yet, you absolutely should! It is shockingly lemon-scented, but smooth and floral like regular time, and it goes especially well in beef dishes – it’s my secret ingredient in my brother’s favorite mushroom tater tot hotdish, and my signature steak marinade.
Wow I definitely need to try that! Thank you so much for making this, Kate! I’m glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this recipe last night without the asparagus bc we didn’t have it (boo, quarantine!). It was absolutely incredible! My husband and I devoured it with some fresh crusty bread and I will be having the leftovers for lunch. Quick and delicious. Thanks so much!
Thank you Jen! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Fabulous!! The only change I made was to only use the juice of half a lemon. Love love love the homemade basil-parmesan-garlic breadcrumbs!
Thank you Bethany! xTieghan
Your recipe hit all the things I love and I could almost smell it while reading. I made it exactly as written, even down to the homemade breadcrumbs. I took a photo and then tried it. It was waaay too intense a combo of flavours. I couldn’t enjoy it, the family didn’t like it, and the leftovers reheated were worse. But. I also had about a 1/3 cup of unused whipping cream left over from Easter that needed to be used up, so…. I poured it into the leftovers and, lo and behold, the flavours sang and it was delicious without being overpowering. This was the first recipe I made of yours that wasn’t perfect in its original state. The cream addition was truly the only way to save it, though. Thanks so much for your inspiring recipes! I’ve been following you for years.
Hi Jane! I am sorry this did not turn out well for you. Please let me know if there are any questions I can help you with! I hope you continue to enjoy other recipes of mine! xTieghan
Do you think a gnocchi would be a good dairy free and gluten free option?
Hi Meredith,
Yes gnocchi would be great with this recipe! I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
lemon butter cheese ravioli with garlic basil breadcrumbs: What a fabulous dinner. We ended up buying the raviolis from Whole Foods. They weren’t as wonderful as homemade, but they were delicious. As we cooked the brown butter, and added the other ingredients, the kitchen smelled wonderful. Making breadcrumbs and having the ‘toasted’ crunchy flavor added to the taste of the dish. My husband and. I could have eaten the entire dinner. Yummy!!! Thank you for yet again, another amazing recipe
Wow I am so glad you both loved this recipe, Monica! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
I smiled at your “one bunch of, on its last leg, asparagus” reference having faced that sad bunch of asparagus I witnessed yesterday morning. I tried this delightful recipe last night and I am pleased to let you know that your recipe is now part of my “go to crowd pleasing fare”. My son was going to take a pass on dinner until he caught a whiff and a look at the end result. His best endorsement for my cooking is, “…it doesn’t matter the time of day…dinner, breakfast, middle of the night…this is a feast for all occasions…”
Thank you for sharing such a lovely recipe.
Oh wow that is so great to hear! It is so perfect for using up the last of the veggies! Thank you so much for trying this Darren! xTieghan
Can’t thank you enough on this recipe !! I did use store bought ravioli (sorry!!) but the sauce and bread crumbs are beyond amazing. Super easy and enjoyable to make. Not a drop left over !! Thank you so much. Be safe .. we need you around !!!
Aw you are too kind! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Judi! xTieghan
Making this tonight and so excited! The “3/4 wine” – assuming you mean 3/4cup? Thanks!
Hi Sabrina! Yes that is correct! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
This is such a bright and beautiful spring dish. We made this for our Sunday family dinner night, which always happens to be some pasta dish for us, and it was a crowd pleaser. The zest and thyme really makes this recipe pop! Next time I would really like to make this with homemade ravioli because there’s really nothing better than homemade pasta! Thanks. : )
Pasta night is the best! I am really glad you all enjoyed this Megan! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I made this tonight with some changes, to use what I had on hand, I used fresh broccoli instead if asparagus as i was out of it. I also used trader joes goat cheese and sundried tomato ravioli (YUM). I did not have panko or crusty bread so I used seasoned breadcrumbs, they did the job, but I know using the panko would have really made the difference! Thanks!!
Hi Anne! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan