Ravioli with Butternut Squash and Sage Butter

By Astrid

Recipe Notes:
Pumpkin—zucca—is a classic filling for pasta in the Emilia-Romagna region around Bologna. To me butternut squash is more flavorful
than our pumpkin, so I usually use it, but if you can find flavorful pumpkins or Hubbard or Delicata squash, don’t hesitate to use them.
Although some recipes include crumbled almond biscotti in the filling for added texture and sweetness, I prefer this version, which allows
you to savor the simplicity of the pasta and the autumn flavor of the filling with just a bit of sage and melted butter.
Tip:
You can freeze the extra ravioli this recipe makes in batches to pull

Ingredients

• For the Pasta Dough
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 9 extra-large egg yolks
• For the Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage Butter
• 1 medium size butternut squash, cut lengthwise in half,
• seeds and membranes removed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fruity extra virgin olive oil
• For the Ravioli Filling
• 2 heaping cups of roasted butternut squash
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pasta dough, rolled out as directed and cut into
• 24-inch lengths
• Cornmeal for dusting
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large sage leaves, torn into pieces
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Cracked black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Dough Directions
To make the dough by hand: Mix the flour and salt and mound on a
work surface. Make a well in the center, like the crater of a volcano.
Place the egg yolks in the well and, using a fork, mix them together.
Start gradually bringing in a little flour from the sides, then continue
adding the flour bit by bit until the dough comes together and all
the flour has been incorporated. Knead the dough, flouring the work
surface as necessary, until it is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes;
it will be a bit sticky. Shape it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate
for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
To make the dough in a mixer: Combine the eggs and salt in the
bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook and beat to break up the
eggs. Gradually add the flour and mix until the dough just pulls away
from the sides of the bowl. It should still be a bit tacky to the touch.
Do not overmix the dough, or it will become tough. Press the dough
into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
1. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Work with one piece
at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered with a towel
or plastic wrap.
2. Sprinkle a portion of dough with a light dusting of flour, then pass
it through a pasta machine at its widest setting. Lay the ribbon of
dough on your floured surface and fold it in half, so that the ends
meet, and pass it through the same setting a second time.
3. A djust your pasta machine down a setting and pass the sheet of
pasta through. Fold it in half again and pass it through the same
setting a second time. Continue in the same fashion until you
have passed the sheet of pasta through the thinnest setting twice.
4. When the dough sheet becomes too long to handle, cut it into
manageable lengths. Transfer each finished sheet to a lightly
dusted work surface and keep covered with a slightly dampened
towel to keep the pasta from drying out while you roll out the
remaining dough.
The pasta is ready to use.

Squash abd Butter Directions:
1. P reheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season the cut surfaces of the butternut squash with salt
and pepper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place
cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to
1 hour, or until just soft.
3. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. When the squash
is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and puree the squash
through a food mill.
1. To prepare the filling, combine the squash, ricotta, nutmeg, and
salt and pepper in a bowl, mixing well. Refrigerate for 1 hour to
firm up the filling.
2. Remove the filling from the refrigerator and spoon it into a pastry
bag without a tip, or a plastic bag with a 1/2-inch opening cut in
one corner.
3. Fold one pasta sheet in half so that the two short ends meet, to
mark the center, then unfold the sheet so that it rests lengthwise
in front of you. Working on one side of the crease, starting 2
inches from the end, arrange tablespoonfuls of filling down the
sheet at 4-inch intervals.
4. Fold the other side of the pasta back over so that the edges again
line up, and press the dough around the mounds of filling to seal.
Center a 3-inch scalloped cutter around each mound of filling and
cut circles. Press the edges together firmly to seal, without losing
the pretty scallop.
5. P lace the ravioli on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal, and
repeat with the remaining dough and filling. (You need only
12 ravioli for this recipe. Arrange the remaining ravioli on a
baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until firm.
Then transfer to heavy-duty freezer bags and freeze for up to
2 months.)
6. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Drop
the 12 ravioli into the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes,
until just tender.
7. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large sauté pan
over medium-high heat. When it is foamy, drop in the sage leaves
and cook for 1 minute, or until lightly toasted but not brown.
8. L ift the ravioli out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and
place in the sauté pan with the sage. Add a small splash of the
pasta water and gently toss to coat the ravioli with the butter.
Serve in warm pasta bowls, sprinkled with a little grated
Parmigiano and cracked pepper.