Elevate store-bought pumpkin ravioli with a sage-infused brown butter pan sauce. Lightly toasted walnuts add contrasting texture, and a squeeze of lemon juice brightens and brings all the flavors to life. And it’s ready in 25 minutes.

Serve this with a simple brown butter sage chicken skillet, apple cabbage slaw, and an easy apple crisp for a fully fall-inspired dinner!

You guys sure love a good pasta recipe, and I don’t blame you one bit. Sometimes you just need comfort food, and pasta never disappoints. Especially luscious filled pasta coated in a simple, flavorful brown butter sauce.

Now, we’re all about taking the long way around sometimes, and yes, I admit it, a few years ago I bought one of those metal ravioli presses on a whim. (It was so cute.) But to be honest, making homemade ravioli is just not something I have the time or energy for these days. So let’s all channel our inner Ina Garten here. Repeat after me: store-bought is fine.

Especially when, with just a little effort and a few simple ingredients, you can make store-bought look and taste as good as this!

A plate with orange and yellow pumpkin ravioli garnished with sage brown butter sauce and toasted walnuts.

Related: Brown Butter Bacon Tortellini

Ingredients for dressed-up pumpkin ravioli

Here’s what you’ll need to make this happen, with a few helpful notes on each ingredient:

  • Pumpkin ravioli (obviously!) Our favorite is this honey-roasted version from Trader Joe’s. I stock up every year. The flavor is phenomenal, and the alternating yellow and orange sheets of pasta are so pretty. You can freeze the packages, too, and cook the ravioli straight from frozen, which is very convenient.
  • Walnut pieces.
  • Butter. I like to use unsalted so I can salt to taste, but just use whatever you keep on hand.
  • Fresh sage leaves. A simple but impactful addition!
  • A bit of fresh lemon juice. You might be tempted to skip this, but it’s important to brighten the flavors and counterbalance the sweetness of the pumpkin ravioli filling. We tried it with and without lemon and the preference for with was unanimous. It’s the perfect finishing touch.
  • Olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

How to make it, step by step

This dish is easy and elegant, so it’s especially nice for beginner cooks to start building confidence in the kitchen. First, not pictured, but also not very exciting, you’ll cook the ravioli according to package directions. 😉

Meanwhile, set a large skillet over medium heat and add the walnuts. Don’t add any butter or oil – you want to toast them in a dry pan, and watch them carefully, stirring periodically, to be sure they get toasty, not burnt.

A small handful of walnuts toasting in a large skillet.

Once the walnuts smell nice and are lightly browned, they’re toasted. Transfer them to a small plate or bowl. Wipe out the skillet quickly with a clean kitchen or paper towel, return it to the heat, and add the butter.

Butter melted in a large skillet.

Swirl the pan around occasionally while the butter melts, then begins to bubble and turn brown. Soon it will be deep golden brown and have small dark flecks. It’s official – this dinner is going to be delicious.

Butter that has lightly browned and has a few darker flecks.

At this point, add the olive oil and sage leaves to the pan. Turn the heat down slightly if needed to prevent the butter from burning while the sage crisps up, though the olive oil will also help with this.

Sage leaves crisping in the skillet.

Once the sage darkens and is slightly crisp to the touch, remove it from the skillet. A slotted spoon or tongs make this easy. You can either put it on the same plate with the walnuts, or on a cutting board.

A white slotted spoon lifting crisped sage leaves out of the skillet.

Add the cooked and drained ravioli to the skillet and stir to coat with the browned butter sauce. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Ravioli added to the skillet with the brown butter sauce.

And finally, add back in the toasted walnuts and the sage leaves, either lightly chopped or crushed with your hands into smaller pieces. And don’t forget that squeeze of lemon juice! You can also serve it with lemon wedges at the table.

Skillet filled with pumpkin ravioli, sage brown butter sauce, crisped sage leaves, and walnuts.
A plate with orange and yellow pumpkin ravioli garnished with sage brown butter sauce and toasted walnuts.

What to serve with pumpkin ravioli

For a fully fall-inspired meal, use more of your sage and serve this with a brown butter chicken skillet. An apple cabbage slaw with brown sugar-cider vinaigrette and an easy apple crisp complete the meal.

Or, keep things all veggie-friendly and serve the ravioli alongside this cozy butternut squash or wild rice soup.

And if you’re looking for more easy pasta recipes, you might enjoy this 20-minute tortellini with mushrooms, butter, and Parmesan; simple and comforting gnocchi alla vodka; pesto cavatappi with mushrooms and tomatoes; or fresh pesto pasta with peas.

Enjoy! If you make this Pumpkin Ravioli or any other recipe from Nourish and Fete, please rate it and leave a comment below. We love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!

4.80 from 24 votes

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage, Brown Butter, and Toasted Walnuts

Elevate store-bought pumpkin ravioli with a sage-infused brown butter pan sauce. Lightly toasted walnuts add contrasting texture, and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens and brings all the flavors to life. This is the perfect fall-inspired meal!

Ingredients

  • 18 ounces pumpkin ravioli
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 10-12 fresh sage leaves
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 lemon

Instructions

  • Boil a large pot of water. When boiling rapidly, add a large pinch of salt and the ravioli. Cook just to al dente, according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts to the dry skillet and toast for 2-3 minutes, just until fragrant and lightly browned. Stir them frequently and keep a close eye to ensure they don't blacken and burn. Remove walnuts to a plate, set aside, and lightly wipe out the skillet with a paper towel or clean dishcloth.
  • Return skillet to medium heat and add the butter. Let it melt, then bubble, then begin to turn brown, swirling the pan occasionally. When the butter is medium brown with darker flecks speckled throughout, and has a nutty aroma, swirl in the olive oil. Add sage leaves, and let them sizzle in the skillet for 2-3 minutes, just until they crisp and turn dark green. With a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the crisped sage to a cutting board, and lightly chop the leaves into smaller pieces.
  • Add cooked ravioli to the skillet, and toss to coat with the brown butter sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle the walnuts and chopped sage leaves on top. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice, and/or a small lemon wedge on each plate. Enjoy!

Notes

Calories are an estimate based on using two boxes of Trader Joe’s honey-roasted pumpkin ravioli.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 563 kcal, Carbohydrates: 52 g, Protein: 20 g, Fat: 31 g, Saturated Fat: 11 g, Cholesterol: 89 mg, Sodium: 792 mg, Potassium: 70 mg, Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 5 g, Vitamin A: 277 IU, Vitamin C: 14 mg, Calcium: 203 mg, Iron: 3 mg
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