Butternut Squash Ravioli
November 02, 2007
Butternut squash feels hard as a rock when you pick it up. One can't imagine that it would even cook in an oven, much less be penetrable to a knife. But, I assure you that this squash is amenable to cooking, cutting, and even the occasional puree.If you've never had butternut squash, the taste is a cross between a sweet potato and pumpkin, but silky with an appealing bright orange color. One of its stranger features is that when you buy it, the outside skin is usually a vague color of creamy dreamsicle orange, but even two or three weeks out, it darkens slightly more orange. I bought my squash at Abodanza farms and put it on top of the refrigerator and thought about what I might do with it. It occurred to me that I should roast it, puree it, and use it as a stuffing of some kind.
I opted to make raviolis with my squash. Now don't get yourself in a tizzy wondering how difficult this was - in fact, it was easy because I used pre-made won ton wrappers from the store. The won ton wrapper is so versatile (it's not just for egg rolls), and very easy to work with that I don't think I'd even bother trying to make pasta for the raviolis from scratch. What I really loved about making this dish is that I was able to freeze a lot of left over raviolis to eat later.
Here is what you need:
- 1 butternut squash
- 1/2 c of freshly grated Parmesan
- spices: cinnamon, cloves, anise, salt, pepper (use about 1/8 tsp of cinnamon, cloves, and about 1/2 a crushed star anise - if you have none of these, just use cinnamon!)
- 1/2 c cream
- 1 package of won ton wrappers (buy big squares or small, it's up to you)
- 1 egg, beaten (place on the side)
Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 sprigs of sage
- 1/2 c cream
- 1/4 c chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Step One: Preheat the oven to 380 degrees. Cut your squash length wise in half. Remove the seeds. Rub the squash with olive oil and set down on a cookie sheet to bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is easily penetrated with a fork.
Step Two: After the squash cools, separate the flesh from the skin (I used a spoon to "scoop" the flesh out). Place the squash in a blender, food processor, or a bowl and add the spices, cream, and Parmesan cheese. I used a blender, but you can also just use a hand mixer and whip the ingredients together until very smooth.
Step Three: I bought big squares of won tons, so I cut the won ton wrappers in half. I brushed each wrapper with egg wash, placed 1 tbsp of squash filling on one end of the rectangular wrapper, folded the wrapper in half, and crimped the edges down with a fork. You can use the same procedure for round or triangle shaped wrappers. Just be sure to use the egg wash and seal the edges by crimping them with the fork - otherwise, the filling may fall out in the boiled water stage. Place finished raviolis on a cookie sheet to avoid sticking/falling apart.
Step Four: After making what seems like a thousand raviolis, you can freeze some at this point. Place the raviolis on a cookie sheet to freeze (non-stick!). Cover with a loose piece of plastic wrap. When raviolis are frozen, (about 1hour) place in zip lock bags (I put 8 in a bag).
At this point, you should start making your sauce before boiling your raviolis. The sauce cooks quickly, so go ahead and begin boiling a stock pot of water (place a lid over the pot to achieve full boil).
Step Five: Once water is at a rolling boil, toss in your ravioli. They will cook rather quickly if fresh (about 2 minutes) and if frozen they will take 3-4 minutes. Remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon and place them immediately on the plates. Don't stack them! If your sauce is done, pour it over your raviolis. I suggest 4 to a plate if eating a side dish like salad or green beans.
For the Sauce:
Step One: Place chopped sage, minced shallots, and butter in a small sauce pan (like an egg pan). Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent (yes, shallots are onions).
Step Two: Pour in cream and stock. Let simmer for 8 minutes, take off heat. Pour over your cooked ravioli already on plates.
You can also skip the cream and stock to make a traditional Italian sage and butter sauce, but I think the cream really adds a flavor dimension to the squash.
This ravioli dish gave me more ideas about how to use squash this fall. So stay tuned for more recipes.
Labels: Butternut Squash, Ravioli, sauce
