Savory Butternut Squash Sauce with Raviolis
As the days get shorter, and the winds start chilling you to the bone, it’s time to get home, get a fire going, and prepare a savory meal. This pasta dish is my interpretation of a meal prepared for me many years ago. I never got the recipe, but this is pretty close, and reminds me of the beautiful restaurant I worked at the time. I love to pair it with the Isenhower Snapdragon, as I think this white blend has the perfect acidity to match with the creaminess of the sauce.
1 whole butternut squash – peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 TBS Maple Syrup
2 shallots, sliced
16 oz Fresh Chevre **See Note
16 oz Fresh Lasagna Noodles ** See Note
1 egg
1 cup heavy cream
4 TBS Butter
6 sage leaves sliced thinly
2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Cumin
Fresh Ground Pepper
Nutmeg
Pecorino Romano & Chopped Pecans for garnish
NOTE: You can make your own raviolis using the ingredients above, or you can simply buy them – but make sure to get ones stuffed with only mild cheeses. Parmesan for example is too strong for the sauce here. If you make your own pasta, you want very thin and delicate noodles.
1. First take care of the squash. Preheat your oven to 425. Pour 1 TBS of olive oil on a large baking sheet. Spread your squash cubes around, pour the rest of the olive oil on top and season with pepper, nutmeg, (and salt if you like). Toss the squash to distribute the seasoning, then make sure the pieces are in a single layer on the sheet, and drizzle 1 TBS Maple Syrup over the squash. Roast in the oven for approximately 40 minutes.
2. While the squash is roasting, you can put your raviolis together. If using “lasagna noodles” you’ll want to cut them in half, the long way. (with 9 noodles you can make 36 raviolis) Separate so you have nine “tops” and nine “bottoms.”
3. Remove your fresh chevre from the packaging, place in a bowl, and season with Nutmeg & Fresh Ground Pepper. Using a little more than a teaspoon, place the cheese in small piles across each of half of the noodles. Each of your bottom nine noodles should have four teaspoons of chevre – spaced evenly.
4. Crack the egg and beat it, making an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over each of the noodles along the edges, and in between the teaspoons of chevre, one at a time! When you get the first one done, retrieve the tops and place one top on one bottom, lining it up and pressing down in the spaces between the chevre.
5. Using a pizza cutter (or other pastry cutter) cut down the center of the space between each teaspoon of chevre. At this point I like to make sure the ravioli is totally closed and will often use a little more egg wash to ensure that it doesn’t open during boiling.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until all raviolis are done – set aside on plate or bowl.
7. Remove squash from oven. Melt the butter in a med-large saute pan. Add the shallot and saute over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add the sage and cook 3 more minutes. Pour on top of the roasted squash.
8. Using a blender, food processor or even an immersion blender; blend squash, and butter, sage & shallot. Add the stock by the 1/2 cup until you have a very creamy puree.
9. Get water boiling for Noodles. They can cook while you complete the final step! (Keep an eye on them, they should not take much longer than 7 minutes!)
10. Pour 1-2 cups of squash puree into the same saute pan you used for shallot & sage. (You can set aside the rest for soup!) Add 1 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup water. Stir well, and add Cumin, Nutmeg & Fresh Ground Pepper to your liking. (At this point you can also season with salt if you like, or even add a little red chili flake.)
11. Drain your raviolis, plate, and serve with Savory Butternut Squash Cream sauce! Garnish with Romano & Pecans.
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