Butternut Squash Ravioli

Butternut squash ravioli with sage brown butter.

If I were all fancy pants and the like, I would be making fresh raviolis from SCRATCH.

But.. I'm not.

I'm all about making my own kraut, bread, and kale chips, among other things, but for some reason homemade pasta scares me. It looks like an awful lot of work with little room for error, so when I'm craving ravioli without all the nonsense I have a little trick...

Wonton wrappers!!

You can get them at the Asian market mad cheap, which allows you to pump out massive quantities of ravioli with little effort.

Traditionally, ravioli is stuffed with ricotta cheese. I love me some ricotta, but never have the stuff on hand, so I decided to use grated pecorino romano.

Butternut squash + sauteed onions + cheese + nutmeg = A whole lot of yums.

Add in some sage and butter. Do it. It will not dissapoint.

Butternut Squash Ravioli (makes 18 raviolis)

Filling:
1 1/4 lbs. butternut squash
1/2 red onion, diced
3/4 t. fresh grated nutmeg
6 T. grated pecorino romano
1/4 t. sea salt
1/4 t. black pepper

18 wonton wrappers
1 t. arrowroot
2 T. sunflower oil


sage brown butter:

3 T. unsalted butter
10 sage leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle a bit of oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place squash in a baking dish, cut side down. Pour 1/2 c. water in the pan. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until fork tender. Set aside to cool.  When cool enough to handle, scoop out the squash and place in a bowl.

Meanwhile, place a drizzle of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and sautee until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the onion to the squash, along with the nutmeg, grated pecorino, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Place 6 wonton wrappers on a cutting board. Place the arrowroot in a small bowl and add 1/4 c. water. Dip your fingers in the mixture and trace the exterior of each wrapper with your finger (this will act as a "glue" so the raviolis won't fall apart).  Place 1 T. filling in the center of each wonton wrapper, then fold over to make a half moon shape, running your fingers along the edges to create a tight seal.

Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

Place 2 T. sunflower oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the ravioli and cook until lightly browned on the bottom (about 3-4 minutes). Pour 1/3 c. water into the pan. Cover and cook until all of the water has evaporated, then continue to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to crisp the ravioli back up.

Sage brown butter:

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter develops a layer of foam on the top, add the sage and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the butter turns a light shade of brown.  Be careful.. the butter can go from browned to burned in seconds if you don't keep a close eye on it.

To serve:

Place desired amount of ravioli on a plate and drizzle with the sage brown butter.  A little grated pecorino on top never hurt anyone.