Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Ravioli

This dish was my favorite discovery from our Thanksgiving meal. I hadn't made it before, so it was risky to serve it for a holiday dinner, but oh my, was it worth the risk.

I found a recipe on foodnetwork.com - click {this link} for the web page. I guess Emeril was my go-to guy for T-Day. I made two of his recipes on the same day!

I did almost everything the same, except that I used a mixture of butternut squash and pumpkin puree, I used wonton wrappers in place of homemade pasta dough, and I added balsamic vinegar to the sauce (at the suggestion of a friend).

And, the result was delicious, rich, and left folks wanting more. Just what a cook hopes for, right?



You start by sauteeing finely diced shallots in a little bit of butter, then add in the squash puree and cook it for a few minutes, so that the moisture evaporates a bit.



Then you add half & half, grated parmesan, and nutmeg.

Then, you assemble the ravioli. This job is most enjoyable with help. That's my niece, Rowan. She was a great help and we finished so much quicker with her assistance! As you can see, we used wonton wrappers and sealed the ravioli with egg wash, and then cut the edges using a cookie cutter. On Thanksgiving we made hearts, but with the leftovers I just did circles.

Once the ravioli is put together, I found that it helped to separate each layer with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and then let it sit for a while so that the pasta dried out a bit.

Slip each ravioli in the boiling water individually, so that they don't stick to each other, and stir the pot to keep them separate. Then when the pasta floats up to the surface, they are ready to fish out.

Meanwhile, let a good amount of butter melt in a large pan and let it cook at a low temperature until it starts to brown. Add sage leaves to the butter, then add the ravioli. Coat the pasta with butter, and then drizzle about 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar over the ravioli (about 15 ravioli at a time). Work in small batches if you're making a lot so that the ravioli don't break in a crowded pan.



Top with shaved parmesan cheese, and enjoy!