As we get closer to Thanksgiving and everyone starts talking about turkey, its probably a good thing to remembernot everyone wants turkey.
Or ham. Apricot-glazed ham is a pretty decent alternative. And I cant believe I havent shared that recipe on here yet! Its going to find its way into the rotation pretty soon. It has to. Its just that good. Annnnd so much for talking about not-meat.
Anyway, I always like to have something on the table for the people who for whatever reason dont want to load their plates up with a meaty entree.
Enter my favorite offering that appeals to meat eaters and not ravioli.
Specifically, these tasty little pockets of squashy cheesy goodness loaded up with browned butter, Parmesan, and sundried tomatoes.
Ive never been good at making those big delicious homemade ravioli pockets, or pretty mezzalunes, or the other incarnations of this delicious dish, but I can make little 1-inch by 1-inch ravioli squares pretty well, and so can you.
Stuff them with whatever you want as long as it fits in a teaspoon. Water and pinch the edges together, cut the pasta with a ravioli cutter or stamp, boil, and serve up with your favorite sauce.
Or in my case, brown some butter, add some parmesan and sundried tomatoes, and drizzle over your ravioli with an additional sprinkle of parmesan and some finely chopped parsley.
We cant get enough of this one at home. Everyone goes back for seconds, and Marcus stuffs handfuls of sundried tomatoes into his mouth as long as were willing to put them on his plate.
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sundried Tomatoes
Serves 8. 500 calories per serving.
What Youll Need:
For the pasta dough:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 4 large eggs
- water
For the filling:
- 1 butternut squash, cut into cubes {~4 cups of cubed squash}
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 tsp honey
For the rest:
- 5 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- 4 oz sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
How to Make It:
1. Start with the dough. Add the flour and eggs to the bowl of your stand mixer and knead the dough with the dough hook on medium speed until it forms a ball. If the dough seems dry, add water 1 tbsp at a time until the ball forms. If it is sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time until it balances out.
If you dont have a stand mixer, you can do this by hand. Mix the flour and eggs in a bowl and then turn out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough forms a ball. Same rules apply for adjusting the texture as above.
Wrap it in plastic to rest.
2. Lets make the filling next. Preheat your oven to 400F and place the cubed butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender.
3. In a food processor or blender, combine the butternut squash, ricotta cheese, goat cheese, parmesan, and honey and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Roll your pasta dough into lasagna-width sheets and roll out over parchment paper or another nonstick surface.
5. Place 1-2 tsp filling at 1-inch intervals along half of the pasta sheet. Brush the pasta around the filling with water, and then fold the other half of the sheet over the top of the filling, pressing to seal around the filling.
6. Cut the ravioli into squares, and cover with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.
7. Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Boil the ravioli in batches about 1-2 minutes, or until the ravioli float. Drain.
8. In a saucepan, brown the butter over medium heat, stirring until the butter is a rich golden brown color. Add the parmesan cheese and sliced sundried tomatoes and cook another minute, stirring to combine.
9. Dish up the ravioli in bowls and drizzle the brown butter and sundried tomatoes over the top. Serve and enjoy!
Whats your favorite non-meaty dish for fall?
