Oct 1

Oct 1 Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter

It's officially fall and if you're like me, you're wondering how the year has already flown by! I can't believe we're talking about all-things-pumpkin and already having to think about Thanksgiving. Insane. So instead of fighting it, I'm embracing it. And I'm always looking for a reason to try a new pasta recipe.

Now the beauty of this pasta is it's simple to make, because the ravioli are made with wonton wrappers! So easy, and your guests will definitely be impressed.

It gets better. In addition to the sweet and tasty pumpkin filling, this pasta is finished off with a brown butter and sage sauce. And let me tell you, it is heavenly! The first time I made a brown butter sauce was completely by accident. I put some butter in a pan and walked away, waiting for it to melt. I came back, (luckily before it had burned), to find I had just browned my butter. It smells amazing and has a warm, nutty flavor, perfect for sweet AND savory dishes.

For basic tips on how to brown butter, head over to the Kitchn.com

Ingredients

Serves approximately 6

36 whole wonton wrappers
1 stick of salted butter
1, 15oz can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
4 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon of dried sage
fresh black pepper
Fresh sage, sliced thin for garnish
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

Toast hazelnuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from heat and pour onto a small plate to cool.
Using the same skillet, brown the butter by melting it over medium-high heat. When the butter has mostly melted, add the dried sage, then let it cook and bubble for an additional minute or so, until the foam and butter is golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a small bowl, add the pumpkin, brown sugar, breadcrumbs, nutmeg and salt, stirring until combined. (The breadcrumbs will help bind the ingredients into a cohesive mixture)
Roughly chop cooled hazelnuts and set aside.
Lay out 18 wonton wrappers and put 1/2 teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture in the center.(Wrappers can dry out quickly, so you might want to assemble 9 ravioli at a time, keeping the other wrappers covered and in the fridge.)
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Using a pasty brush (or your finger), apply the egg mixture all over the surface of the wrapper, surrounding the pumpkin. (See photos above)
Place a clean wrapper on top, matching up the edges. Gently press the edges together, using your fingers to press out any air pockets.
Use a pasta cutter to clean-up the edges (This is completely optional but adds a nice touch and allows you to trim away excess pieces of wonton)
Boil ravioli, 3 at a time for 1-2 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the ravioli from sticking to each other.
Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on larger plate. Cook remaining pasta in batches of 3.
To serve, spoon a little browned butter (skimming the bubbles away), onto each plate and smear around. Place 3 ravioli on each plate, then spoon a little more browned butter over the top of each.
Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and add a little black pepper.
Add fresh parmesan and sage and serve immediately!