I will admit that I was a little concerned when I saw that squash ravioli with a sage butter butternut squash ravioli sauce was on the menu for the Grana Padano event. Neither Sean nor I are big fans of squash.
It turns out that squash actually makes a tasty ravioli filling…when mixed with cookies and Grana Padano cheese. Not only did I enjoy it, but Sean also gobbled it down. (Score!) Below is the recipe that Lidia Bastianich shared:
Butternut Squash Ravioli Sauce & Squash Ravioli
Housemade Squash Ravioli with Butter, Fresh Sage & Grated Grana Padano
Recipe courtesy of Lidia Bastianich
Yield: 4-6 servings
For Ravioli Dough:
Please refer to the Basic Egg Pasta Dough recipe
For the Filling:
- 1 ¼ pounds butternut squash (You can use pumpkin as an alternate.)
- 4 ounces amaretti cookies
- 1 ¼ cups grated Grana Padano
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- Salt
For the Butter & Fresh Sage Sauce
- 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, to taste
- 12 fresh whole sage leaves
- 1 cup hot water from the pasta cooking pot
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup Grana Padano, grated
Directions:
To prepare the filling:
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Cut the squash into large slices, remove the seeds and pulp, and bake until soft, about 30 minutes.
***Time saving tip: You can have the Eataly Vegetable Butcher cut up your squash and remove the seeds for you or demonstrate the proper technique to use at home!***
Remove the squash from the oven and, once cooled, scrape the flesh off the rind and wrap the flesh in a kitchen towel. Place in a colander to drain for 10 minutes.
Crumble the amaretti and combine with the Grana Padano and lemon zest. Add the drained squash and a pinch of salt and work together to obtain a homogenous filling; set aside.
To prepare the ravioli:
Bring a large pot with 6 quarts of salted water to a boil (just below the salinity of sea water).
Roll out the dough to form a thin rectangular sheet and on this arrange small amounts of the filling (about the size of an egg yolk).
Fold the sheet over and cut squares or rectangles. Make certain to seal the edges of the pasta, using a little bit of water to help the dough stick together.
Boil the ravioli in the salted water for 2-4 minutes until the pasta texture is al dente.
To prepare the Butter & Fresh Sage Sauce:
Meanwhile, melt the butter in the pan over medium heat, lay in the sage leaves, and heat until the butter is sizzling gently. Toast the leaves for 1 minute or so.
Ladle in 1 cup boiling pasta water; stir the sauce and simmer for about 2 minutes. Grind the black pepper directly into the sauce.
Keep the sauce hot over very low heat; return to a simmer just before adding the pasta.
Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the skillet. Toss gently until all ravioli are coated with sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the cheese just before serving.
As always, this recipe is meant to be a guideline. Cooking is not always an exact science so enjoy making it your own!
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