Friday, December 4, 2009

Butternut Squash Ravioli

2½ lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper

2 small shallots, chopped

¼ cup Gruyere cheese (2 oz)

1 egg, beaten

¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

Pinch of cloves

Brown Butter Sauce

½ cup salted butter

10 large sage leaves

½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

½ lemon, juiced

Parmesan Cheese, for serving

Toss the squash in oil, salt, and pepper. Bake on a foil lined sheet at 375 for 25 min or until fork tender. Meanwhile sauté shallots and garlic in ½ Tbsp oil about 3 min. Process shallots, cheese, egg, and spices in food processor until smooth. Add squash and pulse until thickened. Taste for seasoning.

To make ravioli:

Fill 3 inch square wrappers with a spoonful of squash. After folding over, pinch the 2 corners together. This makes two 12 oz pkgs of wrappers (about 85). In a large pot of boiling water, drop about 12 ravioli at a time and cook for 3 minutes. Take them out with a slotted spoon and keep separated (they will stick to each other). These can be frozen (on waxed paper on a cookie sheet) and then cooked for 4 minutes.

To make sauce:

Melt the butter over med heat. Add the sage leaves and let cook for a minute. Add pecans and cook for a couple more min. Add cranberries last so they don’t burn. Let butter cook until it turns amber. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over ravioli and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

-Sheila Madsen