Olive Garden Ravioli Carbonara
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This Olive Garden Ravioli Carbonara is cheese ravioli in a creamy Parmesan sauce with crispy bacon, broiled with mozzarella until bubbly and golden. If you're making the Olive Garden menu at home, add my Olive Garden Four Cheese Manicotti to the list too.
The bacon cooks first, and the grease it leaves behind is what the onion and garlic cook in, so you taste bacon all the way through the sauce. A little black pepper and nutmeg keep all that cream and cheese from tasting flat. Serve it with Ciabatta Garlic Bread and a Chopped Greek Salad for a full Olive Garden-style dinner at home.
Quick Look: Olive Garden Ravioli Carbonara
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 35 minutes
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: 841 kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: Refrigerated cheese ravioli, bacon, onion, garlic, flour, heavy cream, black pepper, nutmeg, Parmesan, mozzarella and parsley
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy — boil the ravioli, make the sauce in one skillet, then broil
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Restaurant Night at Home. You get the Olive Garden favorite without the drive or the wait.
One Skillet Sauce. The bacon, sauce and ravioli all come together in the same pan.
Bubbly Cheese Top. A few minutes under the broiler turns the mozzarella and Parmesan golden.
For more Olive Garden favorites at home, try my Olive Garden Herb Grilled Salmon or this Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta.
Ingredients Needed
- Cheese ravioli: Refrigerated ravioli has the softest texture. Frozen works too, but it takes longer to cook. Stick with cheese, since other fillings compete with the bacon and Parmesan.
- Bacon: Leave some of the grease in the skillet after you take the bacon out. That's what the onion and garlic cook in.
- Heavy cream: Milk or half-and-half will give you a thinner sauce, so stick with cream.
- Nutmeg: Just a small amount adds warmth to the sauce without standing out.
- Parmesan: Most of it melts into the sauce, and the rest goes on top with the mozzarella.
How to Make Olive Garden Ravioli Carbonara
- Step 1: Cook the ravioli in a large pot of salted water until al dente.
- Step 2: Spread the drained ravioli on a lightly oiled baking tray so they don't stick together.
- Step 3: Cook the chopped bacon in a cast iron skillet until crispy, then scoop it out and leave some of the grease in the pan.
- Step 4: Cook the onion in the bacon grease until soft but not browned.
- Step 5: Stir in the garlic, then the flour.
- Step 6: Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and let it simmer until it thickens slightly.
- Step 7: Turn off the heat and stir in the black pepper, nutmeg and Parmesan until smooth.
- Step 8: Stir the crispy bacon back into the sauce.
- Step 9: Add the ravioli and gently stir to coat.
- Step 10: Top with the mozzarella and the rest of the Parmesan, then broil until melted and golden.
Recipe Tips
- Use an oven-safe skillet. The skillet goes straight from the stove to the broiler, so cast iron is perfect here.
- Cook the ravioli only to al dente. They keep cooking in the hot sauce and under the broiler, and overcooked ravioli can split open.
- Lay the ravioli out in a single layer. A lightly oiled tray keeps them from sticking together while you make the sauce.
- Add the Parmesan off the heat. Turning off the burner first helps the cheese melt into a smooth sauce.
- Stir gently once the ravioli go in. Fold them in just until they're coated so the filling stays inside.
- Watch the broiler. The cheese goes from golden to too dark fast, so check it often.
Recipe FAQ's
Olive Garden describes it as cheese ravioli baked in a creamy sauce with bacon and topped with Italian cheeses. This copycat makes it the same way, with a Parmesan cream sauce, crispy bacon, and mozzarella and Parmesan broiled on top.
No. Traditional carbonara sauce is made with eggs and cheese. This one is a heavy cream sauce thickened with a little flour, which is what gives it the rich, creamy texture you get at the restaurant.
Yes. Frozen cheese ravioli works and is usually cheaper. It takes longer to cook to al dente, so follow the package directions. Refrigerated ravioli comes out a little softer and smoother.
Give it the full simmer after the cream goes in, about 4 to 5 minutes, before you turn off the heat. It should thicken slightly and coat a spoon. It's meant to be a creamy sauce, not a thick cheese sauce.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add them to a skillet with a few tablespoons of water and stir over low to medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the sauce is creamy again and the ravioli are warmed through.
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Olive Garden Ravioli Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 18 oz package refrigerated cheese ravioli
- ½ pound bacon about 6 slices chopped
- 1 cup yellow onion ¼” diced
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese fresh grated divided
- ¾ cup mozzarella shredded
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh Parsley chopped as needed for garnish
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Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ravioli as directed for al dente, about 7-9 minutes depending on brand. Drain and transfer the cooked ravioli to a baking tray lightly coated with olive oil to prevent the ravioli from sticking together. Set aside.
- In a large cast iron skillet add the chopped bacon and cook over medium heat until crispy, about 5-6 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove the cooked bacon and place on a paper towel lined plate and set aside leaving about ¼ cup bacon grease in the skillet.
- Add the diced onion and saute until softened but not browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 minute, then add the flour and stir to combine, stirring until combined.
- Slowly add in the heavy cream whisking constantly. Simmer the sauce for 4 to 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Turn off the heat and stir in the black pepper, nutmeg and ¾ cup of the parmesan cheese until melted and smoothed.
- Preheat the oven to broil, high or low depending on preference.
- Add the bacon to the sauce and stir until combined, then add the cooked ravioli and stir gently to coat the ravioli. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Top with the mozzarella cheese and remaining ¼ cup of the parmesan. Broil on high for 2 to 4 minutes until melted and golden brown.
- Serve immediately garnished with parsley and extra grated Parmesan cheese.
