Handmade Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter, Sage, and Walnuts
Makes 24 ravioli
I grew up making ravioli by hand in my grandparent’s basement kitchen. Like most Italian-American families, that is where the real cooking happens. My grandmother taught me everything I know about making ravioli by hand with just a rolling pin and a knife. She kept it simple, and you could see the imperfect mark of her craftsmanship on every piece of ravioli she made. I always thought it was so beautiful and honest.
My grandparents made a traditional red sauce ravioli, filled with ricotta, parm, and herbs. As I took their recipe into my own hands, (literally), I began exploring with their dough and filling as my base. This ravioli recipe is perfect for fall, has hints of nutmeg in the dough, a sweet roasted butternut squash filling, and is bathed in a nutty browned butter sauce. Best of all, you get to make it all by hand just like my grandma did! Be sure to embrace the imperfections—they make it taste even better.
This recipe was created for Food52 to promote the launch of their Five Two Adjustable Rolling Pin, which I cannot say enough good things about.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Ravioli:
1 medium butternut squash
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup ricotta cheese
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon orange zest
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
Sauce:
1 stick unsalted butter
8 sage leaves
Handful of whole walnuts
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Shaved parmesan cheese to serve
WHAT YOU'LL DO
First thing's first: Preheat your oven to 400º. Remove skin and seeds from the butternut squash and dice into approximately 1” cubes. Coat the cubes of squash in ¼ cup olive oil (or more if needed) and sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt and pepper on top. Roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet for one hour until brown, crispy, and caramelized. Set aside and let cool.
Let’s make the ravioli dough. Whisk together your 3 large eggs (room temperature), 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg. On a clean surface, dump the bowl out the flour mix in a pile. Grab a small bowl and press it into the center of the flour mix. Remove bowl. You have just formed a nice well for egg mixture. Pour your egg mixture into the well, grab a fork, and in a circular motion, begin to pull the flour into the eggs creating a shaggy dough. Once your egg and flour mixture are mostly combined, take the dough into your hands and knead for 8 minutes on a freshly floured surface until a smooth ball of dough is formed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Now onto the filling! Measure 1 ½ cups of roasted butternut squash and place in a mixing bowl. Mash roasted squash with a fork until it’s fairly smooth. Add 1 cup ricotta cheese, ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon orange zest, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt , ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg to the bowl with the squash and stir until combined. Set aside.
Time to roll your dough. Grab your rested ball of dough and place it on a floured surface. Cut the dough in half and set one half aside. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it’s 1/16 of an inch thick. If you are using the Five Two Adjustable Rolling Pin (which you should be), this is the thinnest ring on the pin. Cut your rolled dough into 2” squares. Form excess dough into a ball and roll out again, cutting more squares. Repeat until all dough is used.
Now for the main event: forming the ravioli. Grab your butternut squash filling and dough squares. Beat one egg in a small bowl and grab a pastry brush. Grab two squares of dough and place a heaping teaspoon of butternut squash filling on one. Brush (or your can use your fingers) the edges of the dough with beaten egg. Place the second square of dough on top of the dough with the filling and press the filling flat, sealing the edges of the dough with the egg mix. I like an organic shape for my ravioli, and I like people to see I made them by hand, so I don’t get too specific with the craftsmanship here. If you like, you can take a knife and trim the edges of your ravioli until they please you. Repeat this process until all dough and/or filling is used up. Place finished ravioli on a parchment-lined tray as you go.
We are so close to eating! Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. In a shallow pan, place 1 stick of cubed unsalted butter and 8 sage leaves. Grab your handful of whole walnuts and crush gently in your hand. Add to pan with butter and sage and place on medium high heat. Cook, stirring gently, until butter is browned, nuts are toasty, and sage leaves are crisp. While your butter is browning, place your ravioli into the boiling water for approximately 4 minutes, or until they are fully cooked. They won’t take long. Take your ravioli directly out of the pot of water and place into your pan with the browned butter. Coat your ravioli in the browned butter, sage, and walnuts. Serve immediately with shaved parmesan, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.
Enjoy!
Make it step-by-step with me below!
1. First thing's first: Preheat your oven to 400º. Remove skin and seeds from the butternut squash and dice into approximately 1” cubes. Coat the cubes of squash in ¼ cup olive oil (or more if needed) and sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt and pepper on top.
2. Roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet for one hour until brown, crispy, and caramelized. Set aside and let cool. This step can be done in advance and roasted squash can be kept in the fridge.
3. Let’s make the ravioli dough. Whisk together your 3 large (room temperature), 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg.
5. On a clean surface, dump the bowl out the flour mix in a pile.
6. Grab a small bowl and press it into the center of the flour mix.
7. Remove bowl. You have just formed a nice well for egg mixture.
8. Pour your egg mixture into the well, grab a fork, and in a circular motion, begin to pull the flour into the eggs creating a shaggy dough.
9. Once your egg and flour mixture are mostly combined, take the dough into your hands and knead for 8 minutes on a freshly floured surface until a smooth ball of dough is formed.
10. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
11. Now onto the filling! Measure 1 ½ cups of roasted butternut squash and place in a mixing bowl. Mash roasted squash with a fork until it’s fairly smooth.
12. Add 1 cup ricotta cheese, ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon orange zest, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt , ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg to the bowl with the squash.
13. Stir until combined, and set aside. Refrigerate if making in advance.
14. Time to roll your dough. Grab your rested ball of dough and place it on a floured surface.
15. Cut the dough in half and set one half aside. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it’s 1/16 of an inch thick. If you are using the Five Two Adjustable Rolling Pin (which you should be), this is the thinnest ring on the pin.
16. Cut your rolled dough into 2” squares.
17. Form excess dough into a ball and roll out again, cutting more squares. Repeat until all dough is used. Remember when I said "Be sure to embrace the imperfections—they make it taste even better"? Pictured above!
18. Now for the main event: forming the ravioli. Grab your butternut squash filling and dough squares. Beat one egg in a small bowl and grab a pastry brush.
19. Grab two squares of dough and place a heaping teaspoon of butternut squash filling on one.
20. Brush (or your can use your fingers) the edges of the dough with beaten egg.
21. Place the second square of dough on top of the dough with the filling and press the filling flat, sealing the edges of the dough with the egg mix. I like an organic shape for my ravioli, and I like people to see I made them by hand, so I don’t get too specific with the craftsmanship here. If you like, you can take a knife and trim the edges of your ravioli until they please you.
22. Repeat this process until all dough and/or filling is used up. Place finished ravioli on a parchment-lined tray as you go. I typically end up with 24. If you are making these in advance, you can stick your ravioli in the freezer and pull them out when your water is boiling and you want to cook them. They can go right into boiling water frozen.
23. We are so close to eating! Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. In a shallow pan place 1 stick cubed, unsalted butter (twice what is pictured above. Sorry—I was weirdly holding the other half in my hand, and I am ok with that) and 8 sage leaves. Grab your handful of whole walnuts and crush gently in your hand. Add to pan with butter and sage and place on medium high heat.
24. Cook, stirring gently, until butter is browned, nuts are toasty, and sage leaves are crisp.
25. While your butter is browning, place your ravioli into the boiling water for approximately 4 minutes, or until they are fully cooked. They won’t take long.
26. Take your ravioli directly out of the pot of water and place in your pan with browned butter. Coat your ravioli in the browned butter, sage, and walnuts.
27. Serve immediately with shaved parmesan, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.
27. Enjoy!