Crab ravioli filled with tasty
Even though I don’t make homemade pasta “every day,” it is well worth the extra work for meals like this.
Crab ravioli is a delicious and luxurious pasta dish that is quite popular in Italian and American cuisine The sweet crab meat stuffed inside pillowy pasta pockets is truly a treat. But what really takes this dish to the next level is finding the perfect sauce to complement the flavors
When it comes to crab ravioli you want a sauce that will enhance not overpower the delicate seafood flavors. You also want something that will cling to the pasta and add moisture, since ravioli can be prone to drying out. The sauce should add some acidity, richness, herbiness or spice to balance the sweetness of the crab filling.
Here are some of the best kinds of sauces to serve with crab ravioli:
Creamy Alfredo Sauce
A classic alfredo sauce made with butter heavy cream and parmesan cheese is one of the most popular pairings for crab ravioli. The rich velvety texture of the sauce clings to the pasta pockets beautifully. The salty, nutty parmesan also complements the sweetness of the crab filling. To make this sauce even more luxe, add some extra crab meat right into the sauce!
Lemon Butter Sauce
A lemon butter sauce is another excellent choice for crab ravioli. The bright, citrusy flavor cuts through the richness of the dish. And the butter adds that luxurious, velvety texture. Simply sauté some garlic in butter, splash in some lemon juice and white wine, and toss the hot ravioli in the lemony sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon zest.
Creamy Vodka Sauce
A vodka cream sauce is rich, indulgent and full of flavor. Made with heavy cream, tomato sauce or paste, Parmesan and vodka, this sauce clings well to each tender pasta pocket. The vodka adds a touch of sweetness that pairs beautifully with the crabmeat. Add some red pepper flakes for a little heat.
Basil Pesto Cream Sauce
For a fresh, herby flavor, make a quick basil pesto cream sauce. Simply combine basil pesto with heavy cream or half-and-half and heat through until warmed. Toss the hot crab ravioli with the pesto cream sauce until evenly coated. The bright, summery flavors of the basil and garlic really make the sweet crab pop.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
For a lighter sauce option, try a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. Puree roasted red peppers with olive oil, garlic, basil and a splash of pasta water. Toss the crab ravioli with the smooth, sweet red pepper sauce for a delicious and lighter pairing.
Brown Butter Sage Sauce
Brown butter sage sauce is so simple but full of complex, nutty flavors that pair wonderfully with crab. Cook butter over medium heat until browned and nutty. Add fresh sage leaves and cook just until crispy. Toss the crab ravioli in the nutty browned butter sauce for a delicious, rich pairing.
Cheesy Bacon Sauce
Everything is better with bacon! For an ultra-indulgent sauce, make a creamy cheese and bacon sauce. Cook bacon until crispy. Remove and add cream and Parmesan to the rendered bacon fat. Add the crumbled bacon back and toss with hot crab ravioli for a decadent, smoky, savory sauce.
Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce
For a bit of heat, make a spicy tomato cream sauce for your crab ravioli. Sauté garlic in olive oil, then add crushed tomatoes, cream, red pepper flakes, basil and Parmesan. Simmer until thickened. The richness of the cream balances the acidity of the tomatoes beautifully.
Mushroom Cream Sauce
Earthy, umami-rich mushrooms are fantastic with sweet crab. Make a creamy mushroom sauce by sautéing mushrooms in olive oil and garlic. Deglaze with white wine, then add light cream. Simmer until thickened and toss with hot pasta. Shiitake, cremini or oyster mushrooms would all be great choices.
Champagne Cream Sauce
Feeling fancy? A champagne cream sauce is sophisticated yet so easy to whip up. Simply combine champagne or sparkling wine with shallots, butter and cream in a saucepan and gently simmer until thick and bubbly. The effervescence of the champagne makes this sauce extra light and luxe.
Mango Salsa
For a tropical twist, try topping your crab ravioli with a fresh mango salsa. Dice mango, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro and mix with lime juice. The sweet juiciness of the mango complements the crab filling wonderfully. It adds fruity flavor and brightness to the dish.
Cheese Fondue
Dip your crab ravioli in ooey-gooey cheese fondue for an interactive dining experience! Make a classic Swiss cheese fondue with Gruyère, Emmenthaler, white wine and starch. Keep warm in a pot and serve with bites of crab ravioli, bread and veggies for dipping. It’s incredibly rich but fun for a special occasion.
Saffron Cream Sauce
Saffron’s exotic floral notes and beautiful golden hue make it perfect for dressing up crab ravioli. Make a simple sauce by heating cream with saffron, salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. The saffron’s delicate flavor won’t compete with the crab, but adds a gourmet touch.
Fresh Tomato Sauce
For a lighter sauce, opt for a simple, fresh tomato sauce using juicy summer tomatoes at their peak. Blanch and peel ripe tomatoes. Crush them gently with olive oil, garlic, basil and a pinch of red pepper flakes for brightness. Let the sweet sunny flavors shine next to the sweet crab.
Wine Cream Sauce
Wine complements crab swimmingly. Make a easy wine cream sauce for crab ravioli by simmering white wine, garlic, shallots and herbs until reduced. Turn off heat and swirl in cold butter cubes for richness. The acidic white wine cuts through the rich sauce beautifully.
So there you have it – 18 delicious sauce ideas for crab ravioli! From classic pairings like alfredo, pesto and brown butter to unique options like mango salsa and cheese fondue, there are so many tasty ways to sauce up this pasta favorite.
The key is to choose a sauce that will complement, not overshadow the lovely sweet crab filling. Look for creamy, rich sauces that will cling to the tender pasta pockets, or bright, acidic sauces that will cut through the richness. Herby, spicy and nutty flavors also pair quite nicely.
Crab ravioli is luxurious enough on its own, so you don’t need anything too heavy or elaborate flavor-wise. Let the delicate seafood be the star and enhance it with a sauce that adds moisture, flavor and textural contrast. With so many options, you could enjoy crab ravioli night after night and never get bored!
Homemade Ravioli with a Dill & Saffron Sauce
There is nothing quite like homemade ravioli!
Even though store-bought food is easy to use and has gotten a lot better in recent years, nothing beats making your own pasta and stuffing.
Along with mushroom ravioli and spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli, this crab and ricotta ravioli recipe is also very tasty.
Whilst it does take a little patience it is simple, especially with a little practice!
The sauce for this dish is a little bit indulgent, but also supremely simple. It is a butter and white wine based sauce that gets its flavour from dill and saffron.
The saffron not only delivers a wonderful flavour but also a magical golden colour too.
Yes, it is expensive, but we are all worth a treat every now and then, right?
Should you decide that making ravioli is too much work for you, you should check out my simple crab linguine recipe. And if you are after something a little different to pasta, you must try my crab cakes recipe.
Can I roll out pasta with a rolling pin?
Yes, although it is a skill that I have yet to master. Pasta, particularly pasta for ravioli need to be both thin and evenly rolled.
Is a ravioli form or mould essential?
No, not really, but this is my preferred method. It might take a little longer than making them by hand and using a roller to cut them out. However, I always struggle with getting a consistent size and shape which matters when cooking them.
Can I use whole eggs?
Yes, I like to use both whole eggs and egg yolks when I make hens egg pasta because it makes it taste more rich. A good rule of thumb is to use 100g of pasta flour for every egg, but I like to weigh the egg (without the shell) and multiply that number by 1. 75. This dates back to the time when we kept chickens and ducks and their wildly varying egg sizes.
What is “00” flour?
“00” flour is very finely milled which makes it perfect for making pasta.
Can I make this in advance?
I would not cook the ravioli in advance but they can be formed a few hours in advance. Though, I believe they taste better after being chilled for a few hours before being cooked.
Can substitute the saffron with anything?
No saffron is unique in its flavour, do not substitute it with anything, just omit it. The dish still tastes amazing!.
Can I use fresh crab?
Yes, I definitely do. I use canned crab because the amount is better for a recipe for two ravioli. If you want to make this bigger, use dressed crab instead of lobster. The mix of brown and white meat tastes great.
This crab ravioli recipe is a light meal that I eat by itself, but I like to serve it with bread and a salad.
My go-to bread would usually be some focaccia, if I were to make some I would pair it with this tomato focaccia!
It goes well with a simple green salad, but my sweet and salty samphire salad tastes even better with the crab!
I only recommend brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section.
- Stovetop.
- 20cm or 8″ saucepan.
- 24cm or 10″ frying pan.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- I use an Imperia 9-inch hand-cranked pasta machine to roll out the pasta.
- Ravioli mould, I use a 12-hole (dome-shaped) Imperia ravioli tray.
- Mixing bowls.
- Kitchen paper.
Crab Ravioli with Saffron Sauce RecipePrep Time:
While the idea of making crab ravioli with a dill and saffron sauce might sound very fancy and hard, if you are patient and know what you’re doing, you can do it in about an hour. And if you practice, you will get even faster!
- 1 Egg + 1 Egg yolk
- 135g (1 Cup + 1 Tbsp) “00” Flour
- 145g (100g Drained Weight) Tin Crab Meat
- 75g (¼ Cup) Ricotta Cheese
- Dash White Pepper
- ¼ Tsp Coarse Sea Salt
- 3 Tbsp Fresh Dill
- 35g (2 Tbsp) Butter
- 1 Small (15g) Shallot
- 100ml (⅓ Cup + 1 Tbsp) White Wine
- Pinch Saffron
- 3 Tbsp Fresh Dill
- Place the flour on a work surface and make a hole in the middle of it.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk them.
- Add the eggs to the well in the flour and mix them in with a fork. Once the eggs stop running around and the mixture gets thick, use your hands to mix it in. Make a dough and knead it for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is smooth and silky.
- Set the pasta aside for 30 minutes while you wrap it in cling film.
- Add the crab from the can to a small bowl with the ricotta cheese, white pepper, and coarse sea salt. Make sure the crab is well drained.
- For the filling, cut the dill into small pieces and mix it well.
- Cover a second small bowl with kitchen paper and put the filling in it. No matter how much you drain the crab and ricotta, they will still be too wet to fill the pasta. This lowers the amount of water, and you can do it up to 20 minutes before you fill the pasta.
- Take the shallot for the sauce and peel it. Then, cut it in half and dice it as small as you can.
- Cut the dill for the sauce into very small pieces.
- I like to use a pasta machine to make the pasta as thin as possible. Separate the pasta into two halves and wrap the other half up. Begin by making it as thick as possible and running it through the machine three to four times, folding it back up on itself each time to make it fit. Then make the pasta thinner by going through it two or three times without folding each time. Repeat with the other half of the pasta dough.
- If you want to know what I use, look at the “equipment used” section. Next, dust a ravioli mold with a little flour.
- Make sure not to overfill the mold when you add the filling. The amount you need will depend on the mold. You need to make sure that you can add a second layer of pasta without getting air stuck or a “lump”!
- Wet the pasta around the filling with your fingers, then place it on top of the second sheet of pasta, making sure not to trap any air. It comes with a small rolling pin that helps me cut and seal the ravioli. Do it again if you need to. This recipe makes 18 ravioli in the mold I use, which is 1 5 trays. Set the ravioli aside.
- First, add ½ tablespoon of salt to every 2 liters of water in a medium (20 cm or 8″) saucepan. Then, bring the water to a boil.
- Set the pan on medium-low heat and add the butter when it’s hot. The pan should be 24 cm (10″) in diameter.
- When the butter starts to foam a little, add the diced shallot and let it soften for three to four minutes without changing the color of the shallot.
- Boost the heat to medium, add the wine, and cut it in half.
- As soon as the wine is almost gone, add the ravioli to the pot of boiling water and cook for 90 seconds.
- Add the saffron and dill to the sauce and stir while the ravioli cooks.
- Finally, take the ravioli out of the water and add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss it around for 15 to 30 seconds to coat it.
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
The Best Sauce For Lobster Ravioli
FAQ
What sauce do you eat with lobster ravioli?
Does alfredo sauce go with lobster ravioli?
Do Italians put sauce on ravioli?
What sauce goes with crab ravioli?
Another great option for creamy sauces to pair with crab ravioli is a lemon cream sauce. This sauce is made with heavy cream, lemon juice, and zest, and it adds a bright, tangy flavor to the dish. It’s a lighter option than some of the other cream-based sauces, but still provides that creamy texture that complements the delicate flavor of the crab.
What wine goes well with crab ravioli?
The right wine can complement the flavor of your sauce and enhance the overall taste of your crab ravioli. Here are a few wine pairing suggestions: A light white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, pairs nicely with simple tomato-based sauces. A full-bodied white wine, such as Chardonnay, complements creamy sauces well.
What sauce goes well with crab meat?
The tangy and buttery flavors of the sauce complement the delicate taste of the crab meat in the ravioli. Another great option is a tomato cream sauce, which is made by combining heavy cream, crushed tomatoes, garlic, and herbs.
What kind of mushroom sauce do you use for lobster & crab ravioli?
Made with heavy cream, white wine, and chicken broth, this rich and creamy mushroom sauce is the perfect finishing touch to your lobster or crab ravioli. I like to use a combination of different mushrooms for this sauce – cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms – but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.