If there’s one thing I love, it’s figuring out how to make a delicious dinner with fewer dishes and less time standing over the stove. And this Sheet Pan Ravioli, Sausage & Butternut Squash Bake is exactly that.
We’re talking golden, caramelized sweet Italian sausage, tender roasted butternut squash, and caramelized onion and goat cheese ravioli, all tossed in a creamy, savory sauce made with beef broth, white wine, Dijon mustard, and a little balsamic vinegar. Everything comes together on one sheet pan, and the oven does most of the work.
The best part? Making this on a sheet pan isn’t just easier. I actually think it’s a better way to cook this meal.
Why Make Sausage and Ravioli on a Sheet Pan?
Let’s say you were making this exact dinner on the stovetop.
First, you’d have to heat a skillet and brown your sausage. Depending on the size of your pan, you’d probably need to cook it in batches to get those crispy, golden edges instead of steaming the meat.
Then you’d remove the sausage, add your butternut squash, and cook that separately. And if you’ve ever tried to get beautifully caramelized butternut squash in a skillet, you know it takes some patience. You have to give it enough time to soften, keep an eye on the heat, and stir it just enough to prevent burning without losing that beautiful golden crust.
Then you’d add everything back together, build your sauce, and cook your ravioli.
That’s a lot of standing over the stove for what should be a pretty simple dinner.
Enter the sheet pan.
Instead of cooking everything separately, we’re spreading the sausage and squash onto one big pan and letting the oven work its magic.
The sausage browns, the squash caramelizes, and you don’t have to stand there stirring or babysitting either one.
And once everything is roasted, we build the sauce right on the same pan, add the ravioli, and pop it back into the oven.
One pan. Less hands-on cooking. All that delicious flavor.
Nothing Roasts Butternut Squash Better Than the Oven
I will die on this hill: the oven is the best way to cook butternut squash.
When you roast butternut squash at a high temperature, the natural sugars concentrate, the edges turn golden and caramelized, and the inside becomes beautifully tender.
You get that slightly crispy exterior and creamy center that makes roasted squash so delicious.
On the stovetop, it’s harder to achieve that same texture without constantly monitoring the pan. The squash can brown before it’s fully cooked, or soften without developing those gorgeous caramelized edges.
In the oven, hot air circulates around the squash, allowing it to roast evenly while you’re free to do literally anything else.
And when you roast it alongside sweet Italian sausage? Even better.
The sausage releases some of its flavorful juices as it cooks, which mingle with the squash and onions. Everything develops those deeply savory, roasted flavors that become the foundation of our sauce.
The Secret Is Building the Sauce Right on the Sheet Pan
This is my favorite part of the recipe.
Once the sausage and squash have roasted, we’re not transferring everything to another pot or dirtying a skillet to make a sauce.
Instead, we push everything to the sides of the sheet pan and use the center to build our sauce.
A splash of white wine helps loosen those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then we add beef broth, Dijon mustard, a little heavy cream, and balsamic vinegar.
The beef broth brings savory depth, the Dijon adds a subtle tang, and the cream makes everything silky without creating a heavy cream sauce.
The balsamic is particularly important because we’re working with a lot of naturally sweet ingredients. Between the sweet Italian sausage, roasted squash, and caramelized onion ravioli, a little acidity helps balance everything.
Then we nestle the ravioli directly into that sauce.
Rather than boiling the ravioli separately in water, we’re letting it cook in all those delicious pan juices.
The pasta absorbs the flavors of the broth, sausage, and roasted vegetables while becoming tender.
After a quick toss, we finish everything with Parmesan and return the pan to the oven until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the ravioli.
It’s almost like a creamy baked ravioli dinner, but without the casserole dish or separate pot of boiling water.
One important note: Make sure you’re using a sturdy, uncoated stainless steel sheet pan specifically rated for stovetop use if you’re placing it directly over a burner. Otherwise, you can build the sauce using the residual heat of the pan or transfer it briefly to an oven-safe skillet.
Why I Love Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Ravioli Here
I used Trader Joe’s caramelized onion and goat cheese ravioli, and I think it’s what makes this recipe particularly special.
The caramelized onion filling complements the sweetness of the roasted butternut squash, while the goat cheese adds a little tanginess that balances the richness of the sausage and creamy sauce.
It’s a combination that feels a little more elevated than your typical sausage and pasta dinner, but requires almost no additional effort.
If you can’t find this particular ravioli, pumpkin ravioli or butternut squash ravioli would also work beautifully.
Just keep in mind that those options will make the dish a little sweeter, so you may want to add an extra splash of balsamic vinegar to balance everything.
My Favorite Trader Joe’s Shortcuts
This recipe is especially easy if you’re shopping at Trader Joe’s, but you absolutely don’t need to shop there to make it.
I used their pre-cut butternut squash, pre-diced onions, and refrigerated caramelized onion and goat cheese ravioli.
These are the kinds of shortcuts I love because they eliminate prep work without sacrificing flavor.
You can also use either sweet Italian pork sausage or sweet Italian chicken sausage. Just make sure you’re using raw sausage so it can crumble and brown directly on the sheet pan.
And if you’re preparing your own vegetables, you’ll need approximately 12–16 ounces of diced butternut squash and 1½ cups of diced yellow onion.
Tips for Making the Best Sheet Pan Ravioli Dinner
Give everything room to roast. Spread the sausage and squash into an even layer so they develop caramelized edges rather than steaming.
Use raw sausage. Raw sweet Italian sausage crumbles beautifully onto the sheet pan and browns alongside the vegetables.
Don’t skip the wine. The white wine helps loosen the browned bits from the pan, bringing all that roasted flavor into the sauce.
Let the ravioli sit in the sauce. Giving the ravioli a couple of minutes to absorb the warm broth before tossing everything together helps it take on those savory flavors.
Don’t overdo the cream. We’re using just ¼ cup because we want a silky sauce that lightly coats everything, not a heavy Alfredo-style sauce.
Finish with Parmesan and balsamic. The Parmesan adds a salty, nutty finish, while the balsamic brings just enough acidity to balance the sweetness of the squash and caramelized onions.
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
You can prep several components ahead of time, although I recommend cooking the ravioli just before serving.
The butternut squash and onions can be diced up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
You can also measure out your sauce ingredients ahead of time to make dinner even easier.
For the best texture, I recommend roasting the sausage and squash fresh, then adding the ravioli and sauce right before you’re ready to eat.
What to Serve with Sheet Pan Sausage & Ravioli
Honestly, I think this is a complete dinner on its own.
You’ve got protein from the sausage, vegetables from the butternut squash and onions, and pasta to make everything hearty and satisfying.
If you want something on the side, I’d keep it simple with a lightly dressed arugula salad or some crusty bread to soak up the extra sauce.
But the whole point of this recipe is that you don’t need to make anything else.
The Perfect Cozy Fall Sheet Pan Dinner
This is exactly the kind of dinner I want to make on a busy weeknight.
It has all the flavors of a cozy, slow-cooked fall meal, but without the multiple pots, constant stirring, or extra cleanup.
The sausage gets beautifully browned, the squash becomes tender and caramelized, and the ravioli cooks directly in a creamy, savory sauce that brings everything together.
And the best part is that the oven does most of the work.
Sometimes the easiest way to cook something really is the most delicious.
with love & flaky salt,
Skyler
Sheet Pan Ravioli, Sausage & Butternut Squash Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw sweet Italian sausage or sweet Italian chicken sausage casings removed if necessary
- 12–16 oz diced butternut squash about 2½–3 cups, such as Trader Joe’s pre-cut butternut squash
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion about 1 large onion, or Trader Joe’s pre-diced onions
- 2 packages refrigerated caramelized onion and goat cheese ravioli approximately 18–20 oz total
- 2 tbsp avocado oil plus more for spritzing
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup beef broth plus more as needed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1–2 tsp balsamic vinegar plus more for drizzling
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or sage
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Roast the Squash & Sausage: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the diced butternut squash, diced onions, and raw sweet Italian sausage to a large, sturdy, rimmed sheet pan. Break the sausage into bite-sized crumbles. Drizzle everything with avocado oil. Season the squash with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread everything into an even layer. Place the sheet pan on the bottom oven rack and roast for 17 minutes, until the sausage begins to brown and the squash develops caramelized edges.
- Deglaze & Build the Sauce: Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven and place it over a burner set to low heat, provided your sheet pan is stovetop-safe. Push the sausage, squash, and onions toward the sides of the pan, creating an open space in the center. Pour in the white wine and beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Dijon mustard, heavy cream, and balsamic vinegar. Stir everything together to create a creamy, savory sauce. Add the sprig of thyme or sage to infuse the sauce.
- Add the Ravioli: Arrange the refrigerated ravioli directly in the center of the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Let the ravioli sit in the warm sauce over low heat for approximately 2 minutes to begin absorbing the flavors. Gently toss everything together, coating the ravioli with the creamy sauce and distributing the sausage, squash, and onions throughout the pan.
- Finish in the Oven: Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the ravioli and sausage mixture. Finish with a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a spritz of avocado oil. Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 7–10 minutes, until the ravioli are tender, the sauce has thickened slightly, and the Parmesan is melted. Check that the sausage reaches 160°F for pork or 165°F for chicken.
- Serve: Remove the thyme or sage sprig. Let the pan rest for 2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly before serving. Finish with additional Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper, if desired. Serve warm, directly from the sheet pan!
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