Tuesday, December 18, 2012

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI



Once again I feel like Christmas has totally taken me by surprise.  It’s only a week away…Aaarg!
 
I have a confession to make; at this time my home has almost no Christmas décor on display.  I feel like such a Grinch.  We have been in limbo as to our Christmas plans, and even as I write this I still don’t know what the heck is going on.  We may or may not go to see Billy’s family for Christmas, and so we may or may not get a tree.  Billy and I haven’t been able to travel for Christmas for over 20 years.  His job has him working through the holidays with only Christmas Eve and Christmas day off.  It’s always been like that, and we’re fine with it.  This year, however the NHL and the owners are STILL working on their labor agreement (day 93).  No hockey = no workey!  No hockey also = angry Canadians!  While our hope is for a contract resolution and for Billy to get back to work, it would be really nice to go away for Christmas; to go where the temperature is not 85 degrees on Christmas day.

While I may not be making Christmas dinner in my own home, I have been and am working on dishes for your holiday inspiration!

I’m starting with festive Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli.  They are versatile and terrific served with poultry or pork; if you swap rosemary of thyme for the sage, these ravioli will go great with beef.  They are so easy to make, and look quite impressive.  My menu would be really simple, I would serve the Butternut Squash Ravioli with a pork roast, a salad with vinaigrette, a good loaf of bread, and dessert.

What will make the meal even easier is that can make these now, and put them in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.  You don’t even have to thaw the ravioli, you cook them frozen.  Note that I use the leftover filling in the sauce for the ravioli, so that would have to be thawed, but it’s still no big deal! 

This recipe makes 50 ravioli, because that’s how many wonton wrappers are in the package.  If you are serving a dinner with quite a few dishes, each person will probably eat 3 or 4 ravioli.  If you are doing a simple menu, each adult will eat 8 to 10 ravioli.

Here’s what you do.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

 
Cut the butternut squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. 

Place the squash on a sheet pan cut side up.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the squash, season with salt and pepper.   Roast for 35 to 45 minutes until the squash is tender.



While the squash is roasting; in a small skillet over medium heat, sweat the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  When the onions are translucent, remove the pan from the heat and allow the onions to cool completely.

 
When the squash has roasted; score and scoop the flesh from the skin into a bowl.  

Allow the squash to cool completely.   

Note that you will probably not use the entire squash in this recipe.  You can freeze the leftover squash, or make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup soup.



 


Add 1 2/3 cups of the squash to a medium bowl with the cooked onions and garlic.   

Use a fork to mash the ingredients together (you can also use an immersion blender for this step).





 




Add the seasonings, Parmesan cheese and the egg, and fresh sage.  Mix it well.






 



Fill a small bowl with water; this will be the glue that holds the ravioli together.








Line a couple of sheet pans with parchment paper.

 






This is how I bought my wonton wrappers.  They can usually be found in the produce section at the grocery store, near refrigerated tofu.






I like to work with 6 to 8 wontons at a time.  Lay them out on a clean surface. 

Place a slightly heaping half teaspoon of filling onto each wonton.  If you over fill them, you won’t be able to close them; don’t ask me how I know this.



Using your finger or a pastry brush, wet the all the edges of the wontons with water.


 


Fold the wonton over the filling to make a triangle shape.   

Carefully press the air out while sealing the edges of the ravioli.





 

Lay the ravioli on a sheet pan; cover with a clean, lint free towel.  

Repeat until all the wonton wrappers are used.  You will have filling leftover, don’t discard it.






Put the water on to simmer while you make the sauce.

 
In a medium skillet add a clove of sliced garlic to the stock.  Simmer the liquid to reduce by about one third.


Add the cream and simmer for about another 3 minutes.  Remove the garlic.





 




Add the leftover ravioli filling to the sauce. 






 

Reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Keep the sauce warm while you cook the ravioli.  If the sauce gets too thick add a little more stock or cream.






Add a generous amount of salt to the water.  Add some of the ravioli to the pan, and stir gently so that they won’t stick on the bottom of the pan.  

Do this in 2 or 3 batches.  If the pan gets over crowded you will have gloopy ravioli, and nobody wants that.





 



The ravioli float when they are done.








 



Remove them to a platter and toss with a little sauce.  Keep them warm in the oven while you cook the remaining ravioli.






 
*          To freeze: leave the uncooked ravioli in a single layer on the sheet pan and put in the freezer for about 11/2 hours.  
 
Put the frozen ravioli into a freezer bag or two and store them for a couple of months. 
To cook, put the frozen ravioli into simmering water.  They will float to the top when they’re done.



*If you are freezing the ravioli, do not prepare the sauce.  Freeze the leftover ravioli filling when you freeze the ravioli, and then just thaw the leftover filling before you make the sauce.




Makes 50 ravioli, serves 5 to 8

FOR THE RAVIOLI

1                                           Small butternut squash,
2              Tbsp.                      Olive oil, divided
                                             Salt and Pepper
½                                          Small onion, small dice
2              cloves                     Garlic, minced
½             tsp.                        Dry mustard
1/8           tsp.                        Cayenne pepper
¼             tsp.                        Ground allspice
1/3           cup                         Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1                                            Egg, slightly beaten
1              Tbsp.                       Fresh Sage, finely chopped
1-12         oz. package               Wonton wrappers, (there are 50 wonton wrappers in a pack)

1.       Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds.   
3.  Place the squash cut side up on a sheet pan.  Drizzle about ½ tablespoon of olive oil over each squash half, season with salt and pepper.  Pour 1 cup of water onto the sheet pan.  Roast in the hot oven for 35-45 minutes, until the squash is tender.
4.  While the squash is roasting sweat the onion, garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, just until the onions are translucent.  Set to the side and to cool completely.
 5.  Score and scoop the flesh of the butternut squash from the skin, set to the side to cool completely.  You may not use the entire squash in this recipe.
6.  In a medium bowl add 1 2/3 cups of the roasted butternut squash with the cooked onions and garlic; mash with a fork.
7.   Mix into the squash; ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, ground allspice, grated Parmesan cheese, egg, and the fresh sage.
8.  Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
9.  Fill a small bowl with water; this will be the glue for the ravioli.
10.  Lay about 8 wonton wrappers on a clean surface, I prefer a wooden cutting board.
11.  Spoon a slightly heaping ½ teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton.
12.  Using your finger or a pastry brush, dampen the edges of the wonton wrappers with water.
13.  Take a corner of the wonton wrapper and fold it over the filling to make a triangle.  Work any air bubbles out, as you press the edges together.  Place the ravioli on the prepared sheet pan, and cover with a clean, lint free towel.  Repeat until all the wonton wrappers are used.  You will have extra filling, but save that to use in the sauce.
14.  Put a large pot of water on to simmer while you prepare the sauce for the ravioli (see below for the sauce recipe).
15.  When you’ve finished cooking the sauce; the water should be simmering (not boiling or the raviolis will fall apart), add a generous amount of salt to the water.  Add the ravioli stirring gently to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  When the ravioli are done they will float to the top of the water.  Remove them to a platter, or individual plates, and top with sauce.  You will have to cook the ravioli in 2 or 3 batches as to not over crowd the pan.  They can be tossed with a little of the sauce and kept warm in the oven in between batches.

           *          To freeze: leave the uncooked ravioli in a single layer on the sheet pan and put in the freezer for about 11/2 hours.   Put the frozen ravioli into a freezer bag or two and store them for a couple of months. To cook, put the frozen ravioli into simmering water.  They will float to the top when they’re done.
       **        To serve these raviolis with beef, substitute 1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary or thyme for the 1 tablespoon of sage.

FOR THE SAUCE
2              cups        Vegetable or chicken stock, low or no sodium
1              clove       Garlic, sliced
½             cup         Heavy cream
                              Remaining ravioli filling
                              Salt and Pepper

  1.       In a medium skillet add the garlic to the stock over medium heat.  Cook for about 3 minutes from when the liquid comes to a simmer to reduce the stock by about a third.
  2.       Add the cream and simmer for another 3 minutes. 
  3.       Remove and discard the garlic.
  4.       Stir the remaining ravioli filling into the liquid.  Bring just to a simmer, when the sauce coats the back of a spoon it’s done.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve the ravioli are ready to serve.  If the sauce gets too thick add a little more stock or heavy cream.  Pour over the cooked ravioli.

*If you are freezing the ravioli, do not prepare the sauce.  Freeze the leftover ravioli filling when you freeze the ravioli, and then just thaw the leftover filling before you make the sauce.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Kari, that's a very tempting ravioli. Look very mouthwatering. The butternut squash filling look good. :)

    I just posted a homemade wonton wrappers in my blog & crab Rangoon.
    Have a nice week ahead, regards.

    P/S Love your blog template. Very nice and cute.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Delicious! I find that homemade ravioli is always the best :) Happy Holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am all over butternut squash lately and these look divine!!!

    ReplyDelete