Photo: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter and Bittersweet Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons dark molasses
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Gray salt and freshly ground pepper
- Ravioli dough or 3/4 pound sheet pasta purchased from local Italian delicatessen
- Flour, for dusting board
- 4 tablespoons sweet butter
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 2 ounces Parmesan, for grating
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, for grating
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut squash in 1/2 and scrape out seeds. Spread 1 tablespoon molasses in the cavity. Season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a roasting pan. Cook in the oven until very soft, about 1 hour. (See Chef's Notes.)
Let cool to room temperature and scoop out flesh into the work bowl of a food processor.
Puree squash until smooth, then spread on a baking sheet and return to the 375 degree oven to dry, about 10 minutes. The consistency will be like mashed potatoes. Scrape into a large mixing bowl.
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to brown. Immediately remove from heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon molasses and all the vinegar. Add to squash with mascarpone, Parmesan, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and mix well. The recipe can be made ahead to this point (makes 2 cups filling,) Cover well and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.
To fill the raviolis: Lay out a sheet of pasta dough on a lightly floured board. Cut into circles with a 3 1/2 inch pastry cutter. Put 1 tablespoon squash filling in the center of 1/2 the rounds using either a pastry bag or a small spoon. Leave a 1/2-inch border all around the filling. Moisten borders with water and top with remaining rounds of dough. Press all the air out and seal firmly by pressing all around with fingertips. Lay raviolis out to dry on a lightly floured board or baking sheet and lightly flour the tops. Repeat until you run out of dough and/or filling. To cook, boil in lightly salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 2 ounces of the cooking water.
Uncooked, filled raviolis may be used immediately or frozen for 2 months. Lay them out on sheet pans and place in freezer until frozen. Transfer to plastic bag.
For the Sage Brown Butter: While raviolis are cooking, in a large saute pan, melt the butter with the sage and a pinch of salt until it foams and becomes light brown. Reserve.
On medium heat toss the cooked raviolis in the sage butter then transfer to a serving platter or dishes. Add 2 ounces of the cooking water to the pan and swirl with any residual butter. Spoon the butter sauce over the raviolis, then finish with a generous grating of Parmesan and bittersweet chocolate
Review This Recipe
You must be signed in to review this recipe.
or Register to Review
Newest Ratings and Reviews
Read all 20 reviews
By AMyers86
on February 09, 2011
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
Amazing recipe! All of the flavors are perfect together, and the grated chocolate is a great touch.
By vstoklosa_13038239
Bradenton, 48
on July 31, 2010
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
The squash would be a lot mellower tasting without the balsamic vinegar. I use a 10 year old balsamic vinegar, that is sweet and mild, we use it at the table as a condiment. However, it proved to be the wrong flavoring for this recipe. I hesitated adding it, finally did, then realized it made the squash mixture sour. This made the taste hard to get 'around', you make a face when you're eating it, it's just wrong. I would make this again without the vinegar. Also, the butter sauce is simply boring. Even with fresh sage, it really needs 'something'. I added a tablespoon of walnut oil which helped make it taste richer.
By lucretia95_8578009
Chandler ,Arizona
on November 13, 2009
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
My daughter first asked for this recipe in 2005 to be added to our family favorites after watching Michael prepare it. We tried it out first and decided it was a winner either way whether or not the rest of our family approved, because we could have the raviolis at dinner and if they were not liked we would have the left overs. Sometimes the raviolis do not make it to the big family dinner.
Instead of candied yams this one is the number one choice for us, easy to prepare and delicious with or without the bittersweet chocolate. Who knew easy could be so delicious. The Nance family Arizona 2009
Read all 20 reviews