Any time I share my all-beef ravioli, the next question is always, “Okay, but what sauce do I put on it?” Let’s be real: if you’ve gone to the trouble of making homemade ravioli, the sauce has to hold its own—but that doesn’t mean it needs 47 ingredients. This simple red sauce is my go-to: it’s unfussy, full of flavor, and lets that meaty flavor really shine.
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This is a simple stovetop tomato sauce built from two kinds of canned tomatoes, a bit of white wine and a pat or two of butter. It’s actually a mashup of two of my most favorite tomato sauces. Bonus? It comes together in less than 30 minutes.
If you’ve made my rich San Marzano tomato sauce or reader favorite tomato sauce with butter and onion, this one will feel familiar—it borrows the best parts of both and creates the ideal sauce for meat ravioli.
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A sauce made for beef
A few ingredients come together to make this sauce extra beef-friendly.
Tomato paste. Caramelized a bit in some onions and garlic for an intense sweetness with lots of umami.
White wine. Adds a bright, clean flavor that sweetens the meat ravioli. Pick up one that is drinkable on its own but doesn’t stretch the wallet. I like a dry white, like a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
Unsalted butter. Brings a richness to sauteed onions and a sweet mellow flavor to the sauce.
Steps to meat ravioli red sauce
Recipe notes.
- Keep an eye on the caramelization of the tomato paste. It will go from perfectly caramelized to burnt if you don’t keep an eye on it.
- If you like things extra-rich, swirl in an additional pat of butter at the end.
- Aim for a gentle simmer instead of a rapid boil so as the sauce cooks evenly.
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The Ultimate Red Sauce for Meat Ravioli
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Ingredients
- 1 T unsalted butter
- 1 T olive oil
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ cup white wine
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 28 oz whole tomatoes, canned, San Marzano; pureed in a blender
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 T sugar, if needed
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Next, stir in the olive oil.1 T olive oil, 1 T unsalted butter
- Once the oil and butter are heated, stir the chopped onion, a sprinkling of salt and pepper and saute the onion in the fat until golden.½ onion
- Add the minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds (or until you smell it).2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Pour in the white wine and allow to bubble and simmer for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.½ cup white wine
- After the onions and garlic have absorbed the wine, stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes over medium heat, until the paste starts to stick and caramelize a bit.3 oz tomato paste
- Pour in the pureed tomatoes along with the salt and pepper. Once the sauce begins to gently bubble, give it a quick taste. If it's too acidic (not sweet at all), add in the sugar.Lower the heat and simmer the red sauce for about 20 minutes. Stir in the fresh herbs. Taste and correct for seasoning, as needed.28 oz whole tomatoes, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 T sugar, 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
