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Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

Christine Cole

This may be the most well-received dish I’ve ever served. In fact, I made it for the first time as an appetizer at Thanksgiving about 15 years ago and it’s now a most important tradition at my table. I recently decided to make it for a Murder Mystery Dinner party I was hosting but my oven is broken so I had to run to Whole Foods to pick up already-roasted butternut squash. Not only did it turn out flawelessly, it saved me a heap of roasting time and I’ll take that when I’m expecting eight guests for dinner! This is a great one to prepare ahead of time and freeze until you need it.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

INGREDIENTS

4 cups butternut squash, roasted

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

2 packages wonton (云吞) wraps (I like Nasoya brand)

Reggiano Parmigiana, for garnish

METHOD

  1. In a large bowl, mash and mix squash, butter, mascarpone and parsley until it’s the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes.

  2. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine

  3. Line up several wonton squares on a dry cutting board or piece of parchment paper.

  4. Working one at a time:

    1. Place 1 tablespoon of the squash mixture on the center of a wonton square.

    2. Flatten and spread squash out leaving a half-inch border.

    3. Using a pastry brush, brush border edges with water.

    4. Place another wonton square directly on top, lining edges up.

    5. Using a ravioli stamp, seal top and bottom together by pressing firmly.

    6. Move ravioli to a container lined with parchment.

  5. Repeat until all your squash is used up.

    For an appetizer portion I like to plan for three raviolis per person; for entrée, five.

  6. Ten minutes before you’re ready to serve the ravioli, bring a large pot of salted water with 5 tablespoons of olive oil, to boil.

  7. Prepare Sage Brown Butter (recipe below) while you await the water boil.

  8. After Sage Brown Butter is ready, drop raviolis into a pot of boiling water. Work in batches so as not to crowd the pot which can cause the ravioli to stick together and break. They are done when they float (1 - 3 minutes); and it’s totally fine to cook them from a frozen state. They will still be done when they float.

  9. Using a spider skimmer, scoop ravioli from the water and place directly onto a serving dish.

  10. Top with Sage Brown Butter and garnish with freshly-grated Reggiano parmigiana cheese.

  11. Enjoy immediately.

Sage Brown Butter

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups salted butter

1/2 cup fresh sage, julienned

1 cup craisins

METHOD

  1. In a medium sauté pan, melt butter and bring to a steady simmer.

  2. Simmer over medium heat until butter turns from yellow to deep golden yellow, about 10 minutes.

    Be sure to keep a close eye on the butter and whisk it regularly. Brown butter turns to burnt butter in seconds!

  3. Add sage and stir and cook for 30 seconds.

  4. Add craisins and stir and cook until plump, about 30 seconds.

  5. Remove from heat and use immediately.