The $3.69 Aldi Find I Wait for All Fall Is Finally Back

Let it be known that I know how to make fresh pasta by hand and have made ravioli, tortellini, and other filled pastas many times. Let it also be known that chefs like finding high-quality, prepared versions of things like ravioli, because, like everyone else, we don't have time to make them all handmade.

One of my favorite filled pastas is pumpkin ravioli, which combines the bliss of ravioli with the sweet, comforting squash we crave in the fall. I look forward to Aldi's Priano Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli every fall, and I'm so excited that it's finally back in stores.

Why I Love Aldi Priano Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli

I love the deep orange streaks swirled into each ravioli, making each one look like a little work of art, almost too pretty to cover in sauce. Making pasta like this from scratch takes ages, so I'm more than happy to let the folks at Priano handle it for me. 

Over the years, I've tried a few pumpkin-filled pastas, and many of them have a heavy sweetness to the filling. Since squash is naturally sweet, adding sugar can make it taste a little too much like dessert. This ravioli has a nice balance of pumpkin, ricotta, and other Italian cheeses in the filling. The sage gives it a touch of earthy, herbal flavor, helping to balance the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. 

How I Serve Aldi Priano Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli

Since the pasta is so colorful, a flavorful butter or olive oil sauce is the way to go. The package suggests an Amaretto-Butter Sauce. Amaretto, with its sweet almond flavor, is a classic Italian pairing with squash.

A simple brown butter sauce works just as well and is more nutty than sweet. I tossed the cooked ravioli in a pan with brown butter, minced garlic, and shallots. I topped the pasta with toasted, chopped walnuts and grated Parmesan for a very quick, very easy, and very delicious weeknight dinner. 

I also want to make a shortcut squash lasagna. I love the original ravioli lasagna and can't wait to make a pumpkin version. I layer the cooked ravioli in a small baking dish with sautéed spinach, a bit of my favorite jarred alfredo sauce, and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. After a quick bake, the result is all the cozy, creamy comfort of homemade lasagna with almost none of the effort.

Don't sleep on Aldi's Priano Pumpkin Sage Ravioli. I'll be stocking up and freezing a few for cold winter nights!

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