Pumpkin Sage Ravioli

Since last weekend when my friend loaned me his pasta maker I’ve been fairly well obsessed with figuring out how to make the perfect pasta. I’m still far from achieving it, but that’s not to say I’m not enjoying my results. Our dog Jack is definitely enjoying every minute of pasta-making. Have you seen how crazed he is for noodles?

After many attempts at the perfect noodle over the last week, I decided to take a break and work with pasta a bit larger in size. I opted to make ravioli. And at first it seemed a lot easier, but then I began to fill each pouch and soon Regan found me stomping around the kitchen while I tried to salvage a sticky pasta dough ball that was oozing pumpkin filling. Realizing the unflattering effects pasta-making was having on my mood I put everything in the fridge and called it a night.

But this morning all was well in the world of pasta. After a good night’s sleep I was in a better mood, and after firming in the fridge overnight the dough was a lot more cooperative. Plus, I remembered the importance of semolina flour and didn’t skimp with round number two.

By the time Regan got home from the gym tonight a hearty dinner of Pumpkin Sage Ravioli with Butter Sauce was ready to be enjoyed. With the wind swirling and thunder rumbling, it was a pretty perfect comfort food to enjoy hunkered down safely at home.

Pumpkin Sage Ravioli with Butter Sauce
makes approximately 30 ravioli 

Ingredients

Pasta Dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semolina flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• dash of salt

Filling

• 1/4 cups canned pumpkin, strained
• 3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 leaves fresh sage, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pinches ground nutmeg
• dash of salt

Sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
•  8 fresh sage leaves
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Process

Pasta Dough

1. In a food processor, mix together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, eggs, olive oil and salt until sticky dough is formed.
2. On a surface covered with plenty of semolina flour, knead dough until smooth, not sticky.
3. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Coat wax paper generously with semolina flour and remove dough from refrigerator. If using a rolling-pin… good luck? If using a pasta maker, gradually flatten the pasta dough starting at width 1 and gradually reducing to width 5.
5. Place each flattened strip on the semolina-c0vered wax paper. You can make crescents like I did by stamping out large circles and putting a small spoonful of filling in the center, then folding in half and pinching edges together. If you want to make real ravioli, you can find lots of tutorials like this that I will use next time I try my hand at ravioli.

Filling

1. Mix strained pumpkin, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, salt, sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper together while pasta dough is resting in the refrigerator.
2. Choose method of ravioli-making you desire, then place small spoonfuls of filling on pasta dough. Pinch edges of pasta together firmly, securing your filling in the middle. Place filled ravioli back on semolina-covered surface.

If you are eating ravioli for dinner bring 8 cups lightly salted water to boil and place ravioli in boiling water and cook approximately 3 to 4 minutes. If saving ravioli for later, place on cookie sheet covered with semolina flour and waxed paper and let freeze. Once frozen, transfer to container and store in freezer up to 30 days. When cooking frozen ravioli allow approximately 14-16 minutes.

Sauce

1. While ravioli is cooking, gently heat 4 tablespoons of butter in skillet. Once melted, add 8 fresh sage leaves and gently warm for about 1 minute, then remove leaves from butter sauce and discard them. Add a dash of nutmeg to the butter sauce.
2. When ravioli is cooked through, using a slotted spoon transfer ravioli from water to butter sauce, covering each ravioli with the sauce. If too dry add some pasta water. Toss with Parmesan cheese.
3. Garnish with minced fresh sage. Serve hot.