What to Serve with Pesto Ravioli: 9 Best Sides

If you are looking for a side dish to accompany your pesto ravioli, you can opt for a simple salad. A green salad with arugula or romaine lettuce and a few cherry tomatoes is a classic choice.

You may be wondering: What goes with pesto ravioli?

I mean, it sounds pretty great on its own, but what are some good sides to serve with it?

As a ravioli lover myself, I get it.

That’s why I’ve put together this list of 9 tasty side dishes that go perfectly with pesto ravioli.

I hope they inspire you to try some new things and that you thoroughly enjoy your meal!

What to Serve with Pesto Ravioli: 9 Best Sides

This dish is a classic, but sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to serve with it.

Try these one of the following sides:

1. Grilled chicken

If you’re looking for a side dish to serve alongside your pesto ravioli, why not try grilled chicken?

It’s easy to make, and it’s a fantastic compliment to the rich flavors of the pasta.

Here are 3 tips for serving this side dish:

• Grilled chicken goes great with both red and white wines. If you’re serving wine at all, we suggest picking up your favorite bottle of either, and letting your guests pick their preference. You can’t go wrong with either!
• If you’re making a full meal out of this pesto ravioli, consider including a side salad or other vegetable dish alongside the pasta and the chicken. This will help balance the rich flavors of these two main dishes with something light and fresh.
• Have side dishes and condiments available for your guests to add to their plates if they want them! These include things like butter, parmesan cheese, garlic bread, vegetables, or salad dressing.

Here’s how you can make this side dish:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. If you don’t have an oven, preheat your grill on medium-high heat.
2. Cut up the chicken breasts into small strips, or cube them if you prefer that.
3. Place the chicken in a bowl or on a plate and add salt, pepper, and spices to taste. You can use any spices you want here! Experiment with ones you like.
4. Once seasoned, place the chicken in a pan or on the grill until it’s cooked through (no longer pink inside).

2. Grilled shrimp

This is a great choice because it’s a light, simple seafood dish that really lets the flavor of the pasta shine.

Here are three tips to make sure you’re serving up some seriously delicious shrimp:

• Make sure to use extra virgin olive oil when you cook the shrimp to get that authentic Mediterranean flavor.
• If you’re in a hurry, frozen shrimp will work just fine. Just make sure you let the shrimp defrost completely before cooking.
• This recipe is so fresh, it works best with super-ripe tomatoes and fresh basil right out of your garden, but any tomato and basil combo will work just fine!

Instructions on how to make this side dish:

1. Preheat your grill to medium heat.
2. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. 
3. Place the shrimp in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
4. Grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side, until the shrimp is opaque and cooked through.

3. Roasted potatoes

I’ve got a side dish that will knock your socks off.

It’s super easy to make, and it tastes like you’ve spent all day in the kitchen.

It also goes perfectly with any meal—especially our pesto ravioli.

Why?

Because everyone loves a crispy, oven-roasted potato.

Here are 3 tips for serving these roasted potatoes:

• Make sure to cut the potatoes into small pieces so they roast quickly and evenly.
• When you plate the dish, be sure to garnish with some fresh herbs, such as rosemary or thyme.
• If you want to try something different, season the potatoes with a specialty salt blend instead of kosher salt.

Here’s how you make them:

1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
2. Cut russet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and place on baking sheet with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. Roast until golden and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes.

4. Steamed broccoli

Whether you’re a total beginner in the kitchen or you just need some inspiration to change up your sides, this recipe is for you.

This delicious side can be made in under ten minutes and goes great with ravioli.

Here are some ideas for how to serve steamed broccoli alongside your delicious pesto ravioli:

• Add some cheese: Sprinkle parmesan on top of your steamed broccoli, and you’ve got a side dish that will make even the most anti-veggie person in your life go nuts. It’s a perfect complement to the creamy, cheesy ravioli, and it’s actually quite healthy (not to mention delicious!)
• Add some crunch: Get some crushed up almonds or sesame seeds and sprinkle them over the top of your broccoli and enjoy the crunchy complement to the soft ravioli!
• Add some flavor: Try topping your broccoli with some store-bought dressing or homemade vinaigrette that has whatever flavors you’re craving—and trust us, when you’re craving a little something extra, this will hit the spot.

5. Garlic bread

Garlic bread is an easy way to add some variety and heartiness to the meal without competing with your main dish.

Here are three tips for serving this side dish:

• Make sure to bake the bread until it’s golden brown on top, or it won’t be crispy enough to stand up to the pasta.
• Serve the bread and pasta at the same temperature; that way your mouth gets both hot and cold bites of food at once.
• Once it’s out of the oven, make sure to serve the bread immediately; otherwise it’ll get soggy sitting out on the table.

Now, let’s get down to business!

how do you actually make garlic bread?

It’s actually pretty simple.

Just follow these instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut a loaf of crusty French bread into 1/2-inch slices and arrange on a baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup).
3. In a small bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined.
4. Spread the mixture evenly over the bread slices.
5. Bake in preheated oven until crisp on top and golden brown on edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Roasted asparagus spears

If you’re serving up pesto ravioli, you’ll want to pair it with a simple side that lets the pasta shine.

Roasted asparagus spears are a great choice!

They’re flavorful enough to stand on their own, but they don’t demand much in the way of preparation or attention.

To make sure this side serves up perfectly, keep these tips in mind:

• If possible, try to purchase large asparagus spears that are similar in size. This will help them cook evenly and give them a more uniform appearance on the plate.
• There’s an art to roasting veggies—if you cook them too long, they’ll turn into mush! So watch the oven closely and check them often. They’re done when they’re slightly browned on the outside and tender on the inside.
• You can serve this dish hot, but our favorite way is to let it cool down to room temperature before serving with a sprinkling of sea salt. How delicious!

Directions:

1. To prepare your side dish, first preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Then wash and dry one pound of fresh asparagus and cut each spear into four pieces of equal length.
3. Next, lightly coat your asparagus pieces in olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
4. Arrange your spears evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for 6-8 minutes depending on their thickness.
5. Then remove from oven and serve immediately.

7. Breadsticks

Breadsticks are a great accompaniment to any pasta dish.

They’re especially good with pesto ravioli because they’re hardy enough to stand up to the bold flavor of the sauce, and they easily soak up all the extra deliciousness on your plate.

And who doesn’t love breadsticks?

Also, they’re super easy to make.

Here’s how:

1. To make them, preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil.
3. Make a well in the center and pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 3/4 cup of water.
4. Mix to form a dough.
5. Knead dough until smooth, then shape into breadsticks.
6. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Serve with melted butter or marinara sauce for dipping.

8. Arugula Salad

If you’re looking for a delicious side to serve your hungry family or guests, look no further than this arugula salad.

It’s a quick and easy recipe that will go perfectly with your dinner.

Here are 3 tips for serving your ravioli with arugula salad:

• Make sure you use fresh arugula. The best stuff is grown in your own backyard! If you don’t have one, head over to your local farmers’ market and find out which farmer grows the tastiest stuff in town. The more local and fresh it is, the better it will taste (and the better it will be for the environment).
• For best results, toast the pine nuts before tossing them into the salad. This will bring out their natural oils, making them extra tasty!
• When dressing this salad, stick with an olive oil based vinaigrette. This will help to complement the flavors of both the ravioli and the arugula.

Here’s how to make it:

1. Toss together 1 cup of arugula with ¼ cup of sliced radishes and 1 tablespoon of cherry tomatoes.
2. Drizzle with a lemon-balsamic vinaigrette or your favorite dressing.
3. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

9. Green Beans

Green beans are a classic pairing for pesto ravioli because they offer a fresh, crisp bite, with just enough crunch to make you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.

Plus, they’re so easy to prepare: all you need is an oven, some olive oil, salt and pepper, and an hour of free time.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
2. Trim and wash your green beans.
3. Toss them in olive oil until they’re lightly coated.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bake for 45–60 minutes (depending on how crispy you like them).