Bourbon Sweet Potato Ravioli from Aldi Is the Best Thing to Happen to Pasta

If you read my post on the upcoming November Aldi Finds, there might have been one thing that stood out to you the most — at least, I know that was the case for me. What was it that caught my eye more than three-liter bottles of prosecco and Rosé Wine Pasta Sauce? Oh, just some Bourbon Sweet Potato Ravioli! It officially hits stores on November 6, but I got my hands on a package today and made some for lunch. Here’s what I thought of it.

The package touts the pasta pouches as “A savory blend of bourbon, sweet potato, and fine cheese,” and suggests serving its contents up with an orange whiskey glaze. In the interest of time (and the fact that I desperately need to go to the supermarket), I decided to make a quick brown butter sauce (I sadly didn’t even have any fresh sage to fry up, but I did add some flaky sea salt to the pasta right before serving).

While I waited for the water to boil, I checked out the ingredient list. The filling includes sweet potatoes, ricotta cheese, bourbon, white cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, canola oil, brown sugar, black pepper, molasses, eggs, and cinnamon. (All real things!) I opened the package and brought it up to my nose: Not surprisingly, it smelled sweet. Like a sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving.

Carefully, I plopped them into the water and waited the four minutes, as directed by the package.

The pasta is only made with wheat, eggs, and milk, so I’m not totally sure why it has that sweet-potato-y hue, but it sure is gorgeous. I found myself wishing I had some Brussels sprouts left over from last night’s dinner to help balance out the plate (and to add something savory). I did not, though, so I ate only a plate of pasta for lunch. I’m a grown-up!

Look at this cross-section! To talk about the filling, I first must explain that I eat ravioli in a rather strange way: I cut big squares into quarters and then, with one bite in my mouth, I separate the pasta and the filling. It’s weird, I know, but rather useful in this situation. My weird ways allowed to me review this ravioli in two parts.

• The pasta: Cooks up perfectly al-dente. It’s thick enough that it won’t burst while boiling but not so thick that it overpowers the filling.
• The filling: I don’t get much of the cheese, save for the texture of the ricotta. But I get so much of the sweet potato! Next, I taste the bourbon and the molasses. Real pieces of sweet potato get stuck in my teeth (sorry) and remind me that I’m eating more than just cheese. The filling is sweet. I don’t get much of the savory-ness touted on the package, but I don’t mind. And the flaky sea salt that I sprinkled on top really helps balance things out (those sprouts would have helped even more!). It really does taste like fall and/or Thanksgiving.

I love this for a cozy fall weeknight meal. Just make sure you have something like Brussels sprouts or broccoli to go with it. Again, look for it in stores starting November 6 and stock up — you can freeze the package as is and just cook the ravioli for one extra minute. While you’re there, look for Turkey Cranberry Ravioli from the same brand.