Description
Y’all ready for some serious comfort food that’ll make you question why you ever ordered takeout? This Creamy Cajun Sausage Ravioli is what happens when Louisiana meets Little Italy in the most beautiful way possible. We’re talking pillowy cheese ravioli swimming in a silky cream sauce that’s been kissed with the holy trinity of Cajun cooking, loaded with smoky andouille sausage, and seasoned with enough spice to make your taste buds do a happy dance.
This is the kind of dish that makes your kitchen smell like New Orleans had a baby with your favorite Italian joint, and honestly? That baby is absolutely gorgeous. One forkful and you’ll be speaking in tongues — specifically, the tongues of “oh my god” and “can I have the recipe?”
Ingredients
For the Sausage Situation:
- 1 lb andouille sausage, sliced into rounds (don’t you dare use regular sausage)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced (the holy trinity is non-negotiable)
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil (if needed)
For the Cajun Magic:
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to your heat tolerance)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Creamy Dream:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream (don’t even think about using milk)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
For the Pasta Party:
- 1 lb cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen, your choice)
- 2 green onions, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Extra parmesan for serving
- Hot sauce for the brave souls
Instructions
Start a large pot of salted water for the ravioli. We want this ready when the sauce is done because timing is everything, people.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook andouille sausage until browned and slightly crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave those beautiful rendered drippings in the pan — that’s liquid gold right there.
In the same skillet with those sausage drippings (add olive oil if needed), sauté onion, bell peppers, and celery until softened, about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute until fragrant.
Stir in all your Cajun seasonings and cook for 30 seconds until everything smells like heaven.
Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. This is your roux base, so don’t skip this step.
Add butter and let it melt into the mixture.
Slowly whisk in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add heavy cream, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
Bring to a gentle simmer and let it bubble away for 5-6 minutes until thickened. Stir in parmesan cheese and return the sausage to the pan.
Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package directions. Fresh usually takes 3-4 minutes, frozen takes 6-8 minutes. Don’t overcook — nobody likes mushy ravioli.
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining (just in case you need to thin the sauce).
Add drained ravioli to the sauce and gently fold together. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of that reserved pasta water.
Taste and adjust seasoning — more salt? More cayenne? Live your best life.
Plate immediately and garnish with green onions and parsley. Pass extra parmesan and hot sauce at the table because people have feelings about spice levels.
Notes
- Start with a simple Caesar salad to balance all that richness
- Crusty French bread for soaking up every drop of sauce
- A cold Abita beer or crisp white wine cuts through the cream beautifully
- Keep some milk handy for the spice-sensitive folks
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: ~580 kcal
- Carbohydrates: ~35g
- Protein: ~24g