The Best Thing I Ever Made

Unlike many of my posts, the recipe that follows is not easy, not foolproof, and it should absolutely NOT be attempted on a weeknight.  It is an all-day affair and it is A PAIN.  You will swear at least once and at some point, you will probably convince yourself that you screwed the whole thing up.  BUT it will be 100% worth it.  Because the recipe for butternut squash ravioli that follows, though tedious, is hands-down the best thing I have ever made with my own two hands.  Each little step and every agonizing minute of kneading pays off in a big way.  The result is a perfect sweet-savory filling encased in tender, pillowy pasta and coated in a rich, nutty browned-butter bath.  That's the image I keep in my mind while my hands are cramping from kneading the dough :o)  

Also, unlike many of my posts, this recipe requires one piece of specialty equipment: a pasta roller.  It's a must.  There's just no way to roll out those paper-thin sheets of pasta dough without it.   

A pasta-making must-have

Also, if you're really into making your own pasta, there is one optional piece of equipment that can come in handy: a ravioli mold.  I found mine at Williams Sonoma and it really made forming, sealing, and cutting the ravioli a lot easier.  Of course, a good, sharp knife does the trick too.

Remember what I said about one-trick wonders?  Well, Williams Sonoma got me again!

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter and Sage
(Makes 4 dozen ravioli)

For the butternut squash puree:
1 4 lb. butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes OR 3 lbs. of peeled, cubed butternut squash (I found some peeled + cubed butternut squash at Trader Joe's - total time-saver!  I used about a bag and a half)
Olive oil (about a tablespoon)
kosher salt

For the pasta:
1 1/4 cups butternut squash puree
2 cups all purpose flour (plus more for kneading + rolling out the dough)
1/4 cup semolina flour

For the filling:
1 3/4 cups butternut squash puree
1 1/2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP finely chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
1 egg, beaten

To serve:
(For 2 servings)
 
1/2 cup marinara sauce of your choosing (I used my homemade salsa di pomodoro)
4 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP roughly chopped fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Roast the butternut squash.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange the butternut squash on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil and lightly season with kosher salt.  Give the squash a little toss before popping it in the oven for 45 minutes.   The squash should be nice and tender and barely golden brown around the edges.  Once the squash is done, pop it in the fridge and allow it to cool completely.  I typically roast the butternut squash the night before I plan to make the pasta, so the squash can cool completely.  Once the squash has cooled, puree it in your trusty food processor.

2.  Make the pasta dough.  Combine the all purpose and semolina flours in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.  

Create a well in the middle of the flours and add 1 1/4 cups of the butternut squash puree.  Normally, I would add a pinch of salt to my pasta dough, but the squash puree is already lightly seasoned.  

Slowly stir the flours into the puree to create your dough.  I used the dough hook attachment on my mixer to get started.  Once the mixture starts to form a ragged ball of dough, remove it from the bowl or mixer and place it on a well-floured surface.  Now the kneading begins!  You need to knead the dough for at least 15 minutes to develop the gluten.  Also, the butternut squash makes for a rather wet, sticky dough, so you will need to add flour to your work surface periodically.  A perfect pasta dough should be slightly tacky to the touch, but should not be completely sticking to your hands.  You're finished kneading when the dough is firm and when you can poke it with your fingers and it springs back.  

Some well-kneaded dough

Once the dough is sufficiently kneaded, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for NO LESS THAN 30 minutes.  It needs to rest!  (And so will you.)

3.  Make the ravioli filling.  First, toast the walnuts by arranging them on a baking sheet and placing them in a 350 degree oven for 7-8 minutes.  Keep an eye on them though, typically by the time you can smell them, they are already done!  Next, finely chop the walnuts and add them to 1 3/4 cups butternut squash puree and 1 1/2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese.  

Stir the filling and add the grated nutmeg and kosher salt, to taste.  Cover the filling and refrigerate.

4. Roll out the pasta dough.  Divide the pasta dough into four pieces and roll them out one at a time.  Again, use plenty of flour because the butternut squash dough tends to be a bit sticky.  Flatten each piece of dough, sprinkle it with flour, and send it through the pasta roller on the #1 thickness.  Don't freak out if the first time through, your pasta dough comes out looking like a ragged, hole-y mess.  Just fold it and send it through the roller as many times as needed to get a nice, even, hole-free sheet of pasta dough.  Continue rolling out the dough on each thickness setting, being sure to send it through at least twice on each setting.  I rolled the sheets out to the #4 thickness.  Cut the dough into 12-14" sheets.  On the #4 thickness, I found that each 1/4 portion of dough yielded three 12-14" sheets of dough.  Sprinkle them with flour and arrange them on a floured baking sheet until you're ready to assemble the ravioli.

Starting to look like pasta!

5.  Assemble the ravioli!  Beat one egg in a small bowl with a couple tablespoons of water.  Take one sheet of pasta dough and place it in your floured ravioli mold or on a floured work surface.  Scoop teaspoonfuls of the ravioli filling about 1" apart down the middle of a sheet of pasta dough.  Take another sheet of pasta dough and brush one side of it with the egg wash.  Place the second sheet of dough egg-wash-side down on top of the filling.  Gently press down the top sheet of dough around the little mounds of filling, try to get most of the air bubbles out.  Either cut out the ravioli with a nice sharp knife (or a ravioli stamp) or use the rolling pin that comes with your ravioli mold to crimp and cut the edges of the ravioli.  Place the finished ravioli on a well-floured baking sheet to dry.  

Ta da!

If you're not planning to prepare them right away, place the baking sheet with the ravioli directly into the freezer.  Once the ravioli are frozen, you can load them into a freezer bag for easier storage.  They will keep in the freezer for several months.  Or, if you are planning to prepare them right away, proceed to Step #6.

6. Prepare the dish.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a saute pan.  Continue to cook the butter on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter starts to brown.  Once you start seeing those telltale golden brown flecks forming at the bottom of the pan, add the chopped sage.  Continue stirring the butter until it turns a toasty brown color.  Remove the butter from the heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Once the water has come to a boil, add the ravioli and cook until they float, about 5 minutes.  Drain the cooked ravioli.  To serve, ladle about a 1/4 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a bowl.  Add the ravioli on top of the marinara, and spoon some of the browned butter sauce on top.  Grate some parmesan cheese on top and serve.  

There it is, folks.  The best thing I've ever made.

By this time, you will have worked up quite an appetite, so do your best to savor the ravioli a bit before scarfing them down :o)