Pumpkin & Pecan Ravioli in a Brown Butter Sauce

Pumpkin ravioli are one of the tastiest pasta dishes! They herald the arrival of fall and the holiday season.

This year we didn’t plant pumpkins so I wasn’t expecting to prepare the abundance of pumpkin dishes we usually do: soups, risottos, pasta dishes, pies and breads. And yet it ended up to be quite a prolific harvest for pumpkins of all varieties including ornamental, American jack o’lantern and fleshy-pulped pumpkins that are great for soups and pies. Over the years we’ve grown so many varieties of pumpkins that this year the accumulation of seeds left in the ground from the past seemed to flourish and produce a harvest all of their own. They’re all so beautiful that I keep them displayed in our tinello and it breaks my heart each time we chop one up for a dish!

The filling for the ravioli is simple: puréed roast pumpkin, sheep’s ricotta, pecans and grated Parmesan.
I changed the sauce a bit from what I’ve done in the past, making it simpler, and even more delicious. A quick toss in melted browned butter and grated Parmesan, topped with toasted pecan halves. Give it a try; it’s a great holiday recipe!

Serves 4-6

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Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 600 grams Flour "00" or all purpose 21 ounces
• 6 eggs฀

For the filling:฀

• 400 grams pumpkin, baked until tender 14 ounces
• 100 grams parmesan cheese, freshly grated฀ 3 1/2 ounces
• 100 grams ricotta cheese, drained฀ 3 1/2 ounces
• 1 egg฀
• 100 grams pecans (or walnuts, finely chopped 3 1/2 ounces

For the sauce:

• 150 grams butter, melted and browned 5 ounces
• 100 grams parmesan cheese, freshly grated฀ 3 1/2 ounces
• 150 grams pecan halves, lightly toasted a frying pan 5 ounces

Instructions

For the pasta:฀

1. Divide the pasta into four pieces.
2. Work with one piece at a time and keep the remaining pieces covered so they do not dry out.
3. Roll the pasta out into one long, very thin strip. The strip should be about 8 inches wide (20 centimeters).

4. Cut the strip in half lengthwise (Note: knead 1/4 cup finely minced cooked spinach into the dough if you would like green ravioli)฀.

For the filling:฀

1. Finely chop the baked pumpkin.

2. Add the other filling ingredients. Put rounded teaspoons of filling along one of the pasta strips, about two inches (5 centimetres) apart.

3. Using a pastry brush, moisten the pasta strip around the filling if needed and lay a second pasta strip on top.

4. Carefully press the two strips together to seal, pushing out any air around the filling.

5. Cut the individual ravioli into squares using a pasta cutter or a knife.

6. Place the ravioli on a lightly floured dishtowel to rest while you prepare the rest.

7. At this point the ravioli can be frozen for future use; do not thaw them prior to cooking.

For the sauce & serving: ฀

1. Melt and brown the butter in a saucepan large enough to hold the ravioli.
2. Cook the ravioli in boiling salted water until al dente, about 3 - 5 minutes.

3. Use a large slotted spoon or handheld small colander to place the ravioli in the saucepan. They are very delicate and can easily break.

4. Fold the ravioli gently into the brown butter sauce, remove to a serving platter & sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and pecan halves. 

5. Garnish with a sprinkling of parsley and serve immediately.