Squash Ravioli with Herbed Butter Sauce

I have never been a fan of squash. Well, except for pumpkin. I love pumpkin. But, whatever the reason, I never liked squash. I suppose I can just blame my mom… Maybe I just didn’t like the way she prepared it. (That’s a joke, mom!)

Anyway… Like everyone else I am trying to save money and eat a bit healthier. So when I found this recipe in the November Family Fun magazine I decided to try it- in spite of the fact that it used butternut squash.

And it was really, really good! The grated Parmesan mixed so nicely with the squash. And the nutmeg gave it a nice boost. I served this as a main dish with a side salad but it would be a great side dish, too. My girls helped with the pasta and proclaimed it yummy. Not sure if they liked it because they helped to make it or if they thought it was pumpkin ravioli (I’m not beyond a bit of trickery!)

For the filling
2 cups butternut squash, rind removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For Pasta
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

For the sauce
8 tablespoons butter
12-16 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

1. Make the filling. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the squash on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast it until tender when peirced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Allow the squash to cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer it to a medium-size bowl. Blend the squash with the milk, cheese, and nutmeg until it has a smooth, mashed potato-like consistancy. Note: the squash can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. (for an easier way to prepare the squash see below)
2. Make the pasta. On a clean work surface, mound the flour and make a well in the center. In a small bowl use a fork to lightly beat together the salt and the eggs. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the well. Using a fork, gently incorporate the flour into the egg mixture, a small amount at a time. With your hands and a spatula or dough scraper, work the dough until it pulls together into a smooth, pliable ball. (Note: make the pasta this way. I tried it in my mixer with a bread hook and it didn’t work as well.)
3. Halve the dough, then form each peice into a 1/2inch thick disk. Cover the disks with plastc wrap and set them aside to rest at room tempature for 30 minutes.
4. Lightly flour your work surface and half each dough disk. Roll out one of your dough portions as thinly as you can (to about the thickness of a dime), then use a 2 1/2 inch- diameter drinking glass, biscuit cutter, or cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough. arrange them in pairs. Each half disk should yield 7 pairs of dough rounds.
5. Further thin the dough rounds by pinching them between your thumb and forefinger. each round should increase in diameter by about 1/4 inch.
6. Use a pair of dough rounds to make each ravioli. With a pastry brush or your fingertips dipped in water, paint a half inch perimeter around one of the dough rounds. Spoon a 1/2 tablespoon of squash filling into the center, then press the other round ontop of it along the moistened edges. Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges.
7. Bring two large pots of water to boil (using two pots allows all the pasta to cook at once). Meanwhile , make the sauce. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the sage and continue to cook the sauce until it’s light brown and has a nutty aroma, about 4 minuts. Remove the sauce from the heat.
8. Line a large plate with paper towels. Add half the ravioli to each pot of boiling water. The pasta will float to the top after 2 or 3 minutes, but continue cooking it until tender, about 15 more minutes ( take one out and test its tenderness before draining an entire batch). When the ravioli are done, use a slotted spoon or spatula to scoop them out and transfer them to paper towels to drain. (I placed them individually into a strainer, this seemed like a huge waste of paper towels.)
9. To serve, place the ravioli on individual plates and drizzle them with a spoonful of the Herbed Butter Sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.

Option for preparing squash: split in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down on foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes; until tender. Remove from oven and let cool. Scrape squash out of rinds. Use 2 cups for this recipe. Remaining squash can be frozen for 3 months or used in other recipes.