The 4-Minute Aldi Luxury Dish That Feeds 2 People For Under $10

Even those of us who love to whip up pasta for a quick meal can get pretty bored of spaghetti, mac and cheese, and baked ziti after the umpteenth time. Premade versions of fancy pastas like ravioli can be a quick fix, but there's always the nagging worry that the flavor will fall flat. If you head to Aldi, though, you can find a delicious, cheap, beautiful-looking gem that serves two people for around $5: the Priano Lobster Ravioli.

These tender pasta pillows are filled with real lobster, ricotta, and mozzarella, plus other bougie ingredients like white wine and sherry, butter, and cream, and a mix of spices. Lobster is the first ingredient in the filling by amount, so you know these ravioli aren't short-charging you on shellfish. The pasta itself has a fetching yellow-and-red striped exterior made with natural colorants like tomato paste, so your dinner will look as upscale as it tastes. Even better, this refrigerated item is ready to eat after four minutes of boiling. It's just about the next best thing to homemade lobster ravioli.

Reviews for this superb Aldi find say that the taste doesn't disappoint. Some shoppers even buy the ravioli in bulk to keep their households satisfied — a good move, considering how often Aldi stores change up their inventory. The only real caveat of these ravioli is that the package doesn't come with a sauce, but that just means you can dress them up however you like.

Given the low price of the Priano Lobster Ravioli, you can pick up plenty of other items at Aldi to complete your luxury dinner. The packaging for the product suggests Alfredo sauce and fresh parsley, and the Priano brand sells a classic Creamy Alfredo Sauce that costs just $2 per jar. Reviewers call it the best of the label's Alfredo sauces, with noticeable flavors of aged cheese and black pepper, as well as a rich yet not overly thick texture.

If you prefer tomato sauces, Aldi's house-brand Specially Selected Premium Marinara Sauce is a fan favorite, with a fresh, juicy tomato taste, robust texture, and just enough oregano and garlic. Several reviews say it's a dupe for the beloved and expensive Rao's brand pasta sauce. Aldi fans also recommend the Specially Selected Kale Pesto Pasta Sauce, made with tomatoes, kale, parmesan, and basil. The combination of herb, cheese, and tomato flavors would be delicious tossed with the lobster ravioli.

It would also be quite easy to whip up a homemade sauce for these ravioli. An easy Alfredo recipe takes 25 minutes or less, but a butter-based sauce would be even faster. Butter sauces are a very popular pairing for lobster ravioli, adding richness without drowning out the seafood filling. Garlic butter makes for a simple yet flavorful pasta sauce, but brown butter with sage might be even better. You can also add lemon, fresh chopped herbs, or white wine.