Pumpkin Ravioli

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Pumpkin Ravioli in a Sage Butter Sauce

Sorry about the steam!  It fogged my lens!

That’s enough of the boring stuff.  Time for the start of autumn!  I like apples, but for me, the cool, crisp air and the shorter days mean PUMPKIN!  Last year, my mom and I roasted and pureed sugar pie pumpkins and then froze our puree.  I still have some left in my freezer and decided to use it to make some ravioli!  I was craving it last week when it was cool and dreary and decided to concoct a recipe to satisfy my craving.  Many recipes for pumpkin ravioli (and there aren’t many out there on that vast resource we call the Internet) have no ricotta in the filling.  I, however, love some ricotta in my ravioli filling, so I chose to create my own recipe and use ricotta in addition to the pumpkin.  I also used a shortcut by using wonton wrappers for my pasta.  Sometime, I will post a how-to for making pasta, but it was a weeknight, so I did not have the time.  Wontons are a perfect little alternative!  As for the sauce, I decided to go with a Sage Butter sauce…seemed to compliment the pumpkin well.  When I tasted it…I knew it was success…or in autumn terms in this household…we had a touchdown!  I loved it, and I hope you will too!

Ingredients

Ravioli

Wonton wrappers (I bought a 60 square pack, but 2 packs could be used because I had a lot of filling leftover)

15 oz. Ricotta

1 Cup pumpkin, you may want more

¾ Cup parmesan

1 Teaspoon pepper

1 ½ Teaspoons salt

2 Eggs

Sauce

1 ½ Sticks butter

3 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

¾ Teaspoon salt

Step 1

Begin the ravioli making process by preparing your filling.  You will need to combine the ricotta, pumpkin, parmesan, pepper and salt. 

At this point, go ahead and taste the filling.  If you want a stronger pumpkin flavor, go ahead and add it.  You can add more salt and pepper if you like as well.  Just adjust to your own taste.  When you are happy with the flavor, add 1 of the eggs and stir it into the filling.

Step 2

We now need to fill our little pillows of pumpkin pasta (how’s that for alliteration?)!  Mix the remaining egg with a little water to make an egg wash.  Then lay a couple of wonton wrappers down and spoon ¾ - 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each wrapper.  Make sure you don’t overfill, or the pasta will not seal properly.  Now brush some egg wash around the edges of the wrapper and lay another wonton on top.  Use your fingers to press lightly starting from the area directly around the filling and working your way out.  The goal here is first to remove the air pockets and then to seal the edges.  Set finished ravioli to the side (separate layers with plastic wrap) and continue the process until you are finished.

Step 3

To cook the ravioli, you will need to boil some water in a large pot.  You will only be able to cook 4 – 5 raviolis at a time, so I put the oven on warm at this point too.   When the water is boiling, add the ravioli and cook the batch for 3 minutes.  Then remove them to a baking dish and drizzle a little olive oil on top to prevent sticking.  Put the cooked ravioli in the oven and continue with your next batch…

Step 4

When you are on your last batch of ravioli, it is time for the sauce.  In a skillet, over medium heat, melt your butter.  By this time, your final batch of ravioli is most likely done, so add that to the rest.  You will want to cook the butter for about three minutes, until it just begins to color.  When it colors, add the sage and continue cooking for about 1 minute, until it is golden brown.  Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the salt.  Pour it over the ravioli and wa la!  You have made homemade pillows of pumpkin perfection!  Enjoy!

Gastronome's Note:  Wonton wrappers are a wonderful vehicle for any variety of ravioli.  Try a wild mushroom filling, which would be delicious with this same sauce!