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Chicken and Roasted Garlic Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

The origin of a dish like Chicken and Roasted Garlic Ravioli with Tomato Pasta Sauce is a fusion of classic Italian culinary traditions with more modern adaptations:

 Roots in Italy: Ravioli

  • Ravioli themselves date back to the 14th century in Italy, particularly in regions like Liguria and Tuscany. Early references (even in the writings of Francesco di Marco Datini, a merchant of Prato, around 1400) describe small pasta parcels filled with cheese, herbs, or minced meat.
  • Traditionally, ravioli fillings varied by region: ricotta and greens in the north, meats in Tuscany, seafood in coastal areas. They were usually served in a light broth or with simple sauces like butter and sage.

 Chicken in Pasta Fillings

  • Chicken was not a typical filling in medieval ravioli (beef, pork, or veal were more common). However, as poultry became more accessible and lighter dishes gained popularity, chicken ravioli emerged in modern Italian American cuisine. It reflects the New World tendency to use leaner, more versatile proteins.

 Roasted Garlic Influence

  • Garlic has been used in Italian cooking for centuries, but roasting garlic— to mellow its sharpness into a sweet, nutty flavor — is a more contemporary culinary technique, popularized in the late 20th century by chefs seeking richer but softer flavor profiles.
  • Incorporating roasted garlic into ravioli fillings shows a modern adaptation, appealing to diners who love garlic but prefer it less pungent.
  • Tomato Pasta Sauce
  • Tomatoes were unknown in Italy until they arrived from the Americas in the 16th century. By the 17th–18th centuries, tomatoes began appearing in southern Italian cooking.
  • The pairing of ravioli with a tomato-based sauce is largely a 19th-century Italian innovation, cemented in the Italian American diaspora (especially in the U.S.), where tomato sauce became the quintessential pairing for pasta.

 Modern Dish

 Chicken and roasted garlic ravioli served with tomato sauce — is not a medieval Italian recipe but a modern Italian American creation, blending:

  • the historic Italian tradition of ravioli,
  • the New World influence of tomatoes,
  • and the contemporary chef’s twist of using chicken and roasted garlic for a filling. 

Ingredients (for ravioli dough & filling):

  • Dough:
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • Pinch of sea salt
  • Filling:
    • 2 cups cooked chicken breast, finely shredded or ground
    • 1 head roasted garlic (roast whole bulb at 400°F for 35–40 min, then squeeze out cloves)
    • ½ cup ricotta cheese
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan
    • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
    • Sea salt & pepper, to taste

 Tomato Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (or fresh peeled tomatoes)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil (or a few fresh basil leaves)
  • Sea salt & black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Ravioli Dough:

  1. On a clean surface, make a mound of flour. Create a well in the center and crack in eggs, olive oil, and sea salt.
  2. Slowly whisk with a fork, pulling in flour until a dough forms. Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth. Cover in plastic wrap and rest 30 minutes.

Filling:

  1. In a bowl, combine chicken, roasted garlic, ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, sea salt, and pepper. Mix into a smooth filling.

Shaping Ravioli:

  1. Roll pasta dough thin (use a pasta roller if available).
  2. Place teaspoons of filling along one sheet, cover with another sheet, and press edges to seal. Cut into ravioli squares.
  3. Boil in salted water for 3–4 minutes, until they float.

Sauce:

  1. Heat olive oil in a pan, sauté onion until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
  2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, sea salt, and pepper.
  3. Simmer 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Serving

  • Toss hot ravioli gently in the sauce or ladle sauce over plated ravioli.
  • Garnish with fresh basil, grated Parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Thank you for trying this recipe. Please let me know how you liked it. If you enjoyed this recipe, please take a look at other recipes on my fast, simple and good chicken and pasta pages.

Chicken and Roasted Garlic Ravioli