Butternut Squash Ravioli

Ingredients:

Pasta

• 2 cups Double 00 Pasta Flour (all-purpose works fine too)
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

• 1 lb butternut squash (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Sauce & garnish

• 4 tablespoons butter 
• 5 whole fresh sage leaves
• Hot pasta water
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 bundle of asparagus
• 1 package of smoked mozzarella chicken sausage

Instructions

To make the pasta dough:

• Combine the flour and salt on a clean surface. Create a well in the middle of your flour. Carefully crack your eggs into the well, (you can whisk them first to make it easier. Slowly whisk the eggs inside of the flour well slowly incorporating more flour as you go. Eventually, you’ll have a stiff dough. Knead by hand until the dough is elastic. You can test this by pressing a finger into it lightly, it should bounce right back. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minutes. For the best ravioli, you’ll need a pasta roller to achieve the perfect thickness and consistency. Start at the widest setting and run your dough through once, fold it over, flour lightly, and then run it through a second time. Continue this process for each thickness setting until you reach the final thinnest setting. You can cut the dough ball into quarters to make the sheets easier to work with. You should end up with several sheets of thin pasta.

To make the filling:

• Toss the squash with the garlic in a bowl with a little olive oil to evenly coat everything. Roast on a baking sheet at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven and mix in a food processor to combine – slowly pouring additional olive oil into the mixture until the consistency is smooth. Add parmesan, ricotta, dried sage, then salt, and pepper, to taste. Use this filling to make the ravioli. I use a ravioli press to fill multiple raviolis at once.

To make the sauce:

• Combine butter and fresh sage leaves in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat for at least 15 minutes to infuse the butter. Then, increase the heat just a bit (take care not to burn) and stir continuously until the butter browns slightly and the sage leaves crisp. 

To prepare:

• Use a ravioli press to add and seal one teaspoon of filling in between each pasta sheet. Dip finger in water and wet edges of pasta before adding the second sheet to allow for a nicely sealed ravioli. Use a roller, gently pressing down, to seal them up. Be sure to heavily flour the outside of your pasta to enable easy release.
• Boil the ravioli in plenty of salted water until just done. This will only take a short time! The ravioli will float on the surface of the water when they are finished. Carefully remove and drain, reserve a little of the pasta water for the sauce if desired. Serve with the sage butter and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts.
• Serve with sauteed asparagus and sausage for a complete meal