What to Serve with Ravioli

Ravioli is filling enough to be a complete meal on its own, but the right thing alongside it makes a real difference. This depends mostly on what's in the filling. A rich meat or cheese ravioli needs something light and acidic next to it. A leaner vegetable filling can take something more substantial.

Here is what actually works.

A simple green salad

The most reliable option. Dressed with lemon and olive oil, not a heavy creamy dressing. The acidity cuts through the richness of the pasta and the butter or cream sauce it's usually served in. Keep it simple: rocket, spinach, or whatever leaves you have. A shaved parmesan on top if you want to lean into the Italian angle.

This works with any ravioli. It's the default for a reason.

Roasted vegetables

Something with a bit of char on it. Zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, asparagus. Roast at high heat until the edges go brown. The caramelized flavour from roasting complements the umami in the pasta without competing with it.

Good for: cheese ravioli, spinach and ricotta, mushroom fillings.

Garlic bread

If you're serving ravioli in a tomato or butter sauce, garlic bread is the obvious pairing. It earns its place by mopping up the sauce rather than just being bread on the side. Sourdough with proper butter and fresh garlic, toasted under the grill for 3 to 4 minutes.

Good for: any ravioli in a saucy format. Skip it if the dish is already heavy.

Sauteed greens

Spinach or broccoli cooked quickly in olive oil with garlic. Takes 5 minutes. The slight bitterness of the greens balances the richness of the pasta. Don't overcook them. They should still have some texture.

This is the smarter alternative to a salad if you want something warm alongside the pasta.

A light soup

Serving ravioli as a starter and want something alongside for a full dinner? A clear broth or a simple vegetable soup. The lightness of the soup means the ravioli remains the focus. This is not a common pairing in casual cooking but it works well when you want a two-course pasta dinner without committing to a heavy main.

What doesn't work

Heavy sides. Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, creamy gratins: these fight with ravioli rather than complement it. You end up with two rich, starchy components on the same plate and neither benefits the other. Keep anything on the side light.

Similarly, big protein sides don't work here. Ravioli is already filling. A chicken breast or a steak alongside it is too much. If you want protein in the meal, it should be in the filling.

The ravioli posts on this site

If you're deciding what to make in the first place:

• The best sauce for ravioli: the goat cheese butter sauce that gets most of the traffic on this site for good reason
• Goat cheese and caramelized onion ravioli: how to make the filled pasta from scratch
• Mushroom truffle ravioli in a butter sauce: supermarket truffle ravioli done properly