This is a quick weeknight dinner built around fresh wild mushroom ravioli: tender filled pasta tossed in a garlic and thyme butter with browned mushrooms and wilted spinach. It takes about 40 minutes from start to finish and uses ready-made ravioli, so most of the work is browning the mushrooms and finishing the sauce.
Recipe at a glance
- Serves: 4
- Prep: about 25 minutes
- Cook: about 15 minutes
- Total: about 40 minutes
- Diet: vegetarian, if your ravioli and Parmesan are
Why it works
Wild mushrooms bring deep, earthy, savoury flavour, and browning them in butter brings out even more. Thyme suits that woodland taste, baby spinach adds colour and a fresh contrast at the end, and a spoonful of starchy pasta water turns the butter into a glossy sauce that clings to the ravioli.
Ingredients
Quantities here are suggestions for four servings, since packet sizes and mushroom varieties differ. Adjust to taste.
- About 450 g (1 lb) fresh wild mushroom ravioli. Look for tender egg pasta with a generous filling. See our guide to pasta types for fresh versus dried.
- 250 g mixed mushrooms, sliced. Cremini, shiitake, oyster or maitake all work.
- 40 g unsalted butter.
- 2 garlic cloves, minced.
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked.
- 100 g baby spinach.
- 40 g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated, plus extra for serving.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Boil the ravioli. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, which can split the seams. Add the ravioli and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, or as the packet says, until they float and the pasta is tender. Lift them out with a slotted spoon or spider and reserve a cup of the cooking water.
- Brown the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir occasionally until they are deeply golden. Work in batches if the pan is crowded.
- Build the sauce. Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and thyme, and cook for about a minute until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted.
- Combine. Add the ravioli and a splash of the reserved water. Toss gently until they are coated in a glossy butter sauce, then finish with the Parmesan and black pepper.
- Serve straight away on warm plates, with extra Parmesan and a few thyme sprigs.
The pan-finishing technique is explained in our mantecatura guide, and the basics of salt and timing in pasta cooking and pasta water.
Tips
- Handle fresh ravioli gently. Keep the water at a simmer and transfer the pasta with a slotted spoon, not a colander.
- Do not crowd the pan. Crowded mushrooms steam and turn rubbery instead of browning.
- Keep some pasta water. A splash of the hot, starchy water in the melted butter helps bind the sauce.
- Serve hot. Warm the plates if you can.
Variations
- Add a splash of dry white wine to the pan after the mushrooms brown.
- Stir in a spoonful of cream or mascarpone for a richer sauce.
- Finish with toasted walnuts or hazelnuts for crunch.
- Use arugula in place of spinach for a peppery edge.
Storage
Fresh ravioli are best eaten the day they are cooked. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or stock. For longer storage, freeze uncooked ravioli on a tray, then bag them and cook from frozen with an extra minute or two.
Common questions
Can I make my own ravioli?
Yes. See our guides to ravioli, filled pasta and ravioli tools.
Which mushrooms are best?
A mix gives the most flavour. Cremini give body, shiitake add depth and oyster mushrooms a delicate texture.
Why did my ravioli split?
The water was probably boiling too hard, or the pasta was handled roughly. Use a gentle simmer and lift the ravioli out carefully.
Can I use dried mushrooms?
Yes, to boost the flavour. Soak them in hot water, chop them finely, and add them with the fresh mushrooms. Use the strained soaking liquid in place of some of the pasta water.
Can I make it vegan?
Choose vegan ravioli, use olive oil or plant-based butter, and replace the Parmesan with nutritional yeast or a vegan hard cheese.
More recipes
For another mushroom dish, try our one-pan creamy mushroom pasta, or for another filled pasta, our meat-filled tortelloni with sage butter.
Further reading: Wikipedia: Ravioli
Syed Yasar Arafat is the founder of PastaLoverz.com and a food research enthusiast with a focused interest in pasta varieties, traditional Italian cuisine, and balanced eating. Through PastaLoverz.com, he publishes well-researched articles that explain pasta types, cooking methods, and nutritional considerations in clear, practical terms to help readers make informed food choices.