Pumpkin Ravioli!

I love the flavors of pumpkin and sage in the fall. Here is a recipe I have made twice in the last two weeks, once for a party and again for fun. All you need to add is a salad and some focaccia.

You can use pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potato in the filling. You can make your own pasta dough, buy sheets of pasta (if you live on the mainland in an area that has gourmet markets) or you can use won ton wrappers for the pasta. These instructions are for the later method. I did them with home made pasta sheets the first time and won tons the second time, they were equally good both ways.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter, Candied Ginger and Fried Sage

Filling:

1 1/2 # of winter squash, pumpkin or sweet potato roasted till tender and pureed.

1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

1/2 cup fontina cheese, grated

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage (you could also use basil)

1/2 of a whole nutmeg freshly grated

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

fresh ground black pepper

pinch of salt (I use my smoked salt here)

2 TBS maple sugar

Pasta sheets or won ton wrappers for ravioli (I used 1 recipe of pasta dough or two packages of won ton wrappers)

Water, pastry brush

Ravioli cutter

1/4 cup of butter (more if you follow the Paula Deen School)

1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

1/2 cup sage leaves fried in olive oil (fry just before serving so they are crisp)

Stir the filling ingredients together. Lay out your pasta sheets. Depending on the size of your ravioli cutter, determine how much filling you will need for each ravioli.

They should be lightly stuffed, just a little puffy. I used a large round cutter and a small ice cream scoop to measure the filling. Place the filling on the pasta and then go around the filling with water using the pastry brush. Place the top sheet of pasta on the bottom sheet and lightly press the seams where you painted the water. Using a ravioli cutter, cut through the pasta and place the ravioli on a floured piece of waxed paper or silpat. Continue till you have used up the filling. The ravioli may be frozen between waxed paper at this point.

Boil water in a large pot and dunk 3-4 ravioli at a time into the water for about 2 minutes. They should be al dente. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and allow to drain slightly. Continue till all are cooked.

When ready to serve, melt the butter in a frying pan and add hazelnuts. Add Ravioli and cook just till the butter starts to brown. Remove to a platter and top with the butter and hazelnuts, then add the fried sage leaves.