I finally did it. I put pumpkin in something that isn’t a cookie. Or a muffin. Or a cinnamon roll. It’s taken over a year, but can you blame me? With so many other dinner-friendly varieties of squash out there, the adorable little pumpkin begs to be lovingly cradled from the store all the way to the kitchen, then turned into delectable treats. (I refuse to believe that I’m the only person who carefully searches the pumpkin pile until I’m sure I’ve found the cutest one, then proudly parades it around the store.)
This was my second attempt at a savory pumpkin dish. The first, sadly, was not a success. I made pumpkin gnudi that were more like boiled pumpkin paste blobs than pasta. (As I started to make the dough, it quickly became apparent to me that my pumpkin purée was too watery. I attempted to compensate by adding more egg, cheese, and flour, but it did not do the trick.) Luckily, I did not give up on pumpkin for dinner! And these ravioli were far better. I have since seen a few pumpkin gnocchi/gnudi dishes kicking around the gawkerverse, so I will definitely be giving that one a try again. (I will not be outdone!) ;)
Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli
yield: approx. 4 doz.
Note: I kind of threw this dish together on a whim, so my measurements below are approximations. Please feel free to adjust ingredients as you see fit. Also, if your pumpkin purée seems a bit watery, cook off some of the water in a pan over medium-low heat.
- 1 ½ cups of pumpkin purée
- 1 cup of ricotta cheese
- 2 oz. of goat cheese
- 3 tbsp of fresh sage, minced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp black pepper (freshly-ground, if possible)
- ¾ tsp nutmeg
- 2 batches of egg pasta dough
Mix all of the filling ingredients together, reserving ⅓ of the sage for garnish.
On a floured surface, roll one batch of pasta dough out into a large rectangle, until it is thin, but not in danger of tearing (around 1/16 of an inch thick). Drop tablespoons of filling over the surface of the dough, leaving about an inch between.
Roll the second batch of dough out into another rectangle, doing your best to replicate the size/shape of the first. Using a pastry brush (or your fingers), rub a little bit of water on the surface of the first dough between the filling, to ensure a proper seal. Carefully place the second rectangle of dough on top, and press all around to close. Cut ravioli with a knife or pasta wheel. To make sure they’re extra sealed (and extra cute), press all around the edges with a fork.
Note: If you still have some filling and a bit of dough leftover after trimming off the edges, knead the dough back together, and roll out again. Use a biscuit cutter (or any other round sharpish thing) to cut out as many circles as you can. Spoon filling into the center, brush water around the edges, then fold over and seal. (That’s why the little guys in my pictures look like halfmoons, rather than squares.)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook until they begin to float (this should only take a few minutes). As usual, I’m advocating the pan-frying of the ravioli after they’ve finished cooking. Add a tablespoon or two of butter to a pan, then add the ravioli and leftover sage and fry over medium heat, until golden brown on each side. Garnish with a little more sage if you like, and maybe some freshly-grated parm.
(Any leftover, uncooked ravioli can be frozen in a heavy-duty ziploc bag.)
wow. Just yummy. I could have a whole dozen of them!
Me too! :D
That’s an interesting take on cooking ravioli! Does this result in a crispy shell, like gyoza?
Yes, the pan frying gives the outsides of the ravioli a nice, golden brown crisp. I’ve had straight-up deep-fried ravioli before, which are on another level entirely (and one I don’t feel like shooting for when it comes to normal dinners). So cooking them as usual in boiling water then giving them a quick pan-fry is a nice alternative. You get a nice, slightly crispy dish, without all the hassle (or greasiness) of deep-frying!
Pumpkin with Sage is such a great combination of flavors! I “borrowed” my parent’s pasta crank the other day and I need to make my own pasta dough now.
I love your pictures, they make me want to have this ravioli for dinner!
Thank you, Lena! I love pasta cranks—they make the work so much easier and they look awesome. I bought a nice one over a year ago, and then discovered that I can’t easily use it by myself, which directly conflicts with my need to have 100% control over everything going on in my kitchen. :) Perhaps it’s time for a motor attachment!
Woohoo! Good job getting pumpkin out of dessert and into dinner! Your ravioli look delicious and I have always wanted to make my own ravioli. Pumpkin makes that proespect even more tempting!
Pumpkin is great in chili or stew too : )
Thanks, Rachel! Ooo, pumpkin in stew sounds delish. My boyfriend makes a mean chili—I just might have to suggest that to him next time!
These are gorgeous! So rustic and hearty. I can’t wait to give them a go. Surprisingly I have only made savoury stuff from pumpkins and never sweet, maybe it is an Australian thing, lol. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Sneh! How funny—though I guess it doesn’t surprise me that we Americans are crazy for the dessert-y things. :P
This looks DELICIOUS! Pumpkin and sage are a sensational combination!
Thank you, Jennifer! They are very tasty. :)