Butternut Squash/Apple Ravioli

This Sunday was play in the kitchen day.  When I went shopping, the local stores were overflowing with squash and pumpkins and gourds as far as the eye can see.  I really want to eat seasonale, so I knew exactly what I would be cooking.  10 recipes, 2 big pumpkins, 3 sugar pie pumpkins, and 5 butternut squash later and I had a plan.

Part of that plan was to make butternut squash ravioli, but I knew squash by itself would be dry and a little boring.  So I got to thinking about other fall produce and landed on the often humble, always delicious (even when honeycrisp) apple.  I knew that the flavor would be subtle so I decided against a red sauce and went instead with one of my favorites: sage brown butter sauce.  (Which can be vegan if using vegan butter ;))

I made my own dough, but if you do not have the time, buy wonton wrappers from the store.  If it good enough for Giada De Laurentiis, it is good enough for me.

And so I present…

Butternut Squash/Apple Ravioli

For the Pasta:

• 7 cups of semolina
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup of water
• Extra All-Purpose flour for use as bench flour

For the Filling

• 1/2 large butternut squash, cut into 2 inch by 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1/2 Jonathon apple, finely diced
• 1/2 tablespoon of ground coriander or nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons of corn starch

For the sauce

• 1 stick of butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped sage

To make the pasta (this part may be skipped and wonton wrappers used instead):

1. Pour the flour, the salt, and the garlic powder into a large mixing bowl and stir with a fork to ensure they are mixed.
2. Make an indention the flour and add the six eggs and water.  Stir with a fork until the dough is crumbly. 
3. Knead by hand until the dough has the consistency of cookie dough.  If they dough is too wet, add water.  If the dough is too dry, add more flour (AP or semolina, either is fine.)
4. Let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes.
5. Once it has rested, cover a rolling mat or a clean table with AP flour.  Divide the dough into four equal parts.
6. Roll each part until it is 1/8 to 1/16 of an inch thick.
7. Let the dough dry for up to 30 minutes.

To make the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.  Roast the squash for 45 minutes.  If time is an issue, cut the squash into small pieces and saute in olive oil.
2. Add the olive oil and the butter to a skillet over medium heat.  Once the butter is melted, add the apples and cook for 3 minutes.
3. If the butternut squash is not peeled, do so now.  Add the squash and the coriander to the mixture.  Cook until the apples become soft, perhaps another 3-5 minutes.
4. Mash with a fork.  Set aside to cool.

Stuff and cook the ravioli

1. Cut the pasta into 2 inch by 2 inch squares with a pizza cutter.
2. Add the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry.
3. Coat half of the outer edge of each pasta square with slurry.  (I made min the the shape of ] so that I ended up with long rectangles.
4. Fold the dry pasta so that it lines up and covers the pasta coated in slurry.
5. Press firmly but gently to close the edge.
6. (optional) Use the pizza cutter to round the finished ravioli or make it whatever shape is desired.
7. Boil in salted water until the ravioli float (about 3-4 minutes)

To make the sauce

• Put a skillet on high heat and wait for about 3 minutes.
• Add the butter and the sage.
• Remove the pan from the heat.  The butter will have browned.

Pour the sage butter sauce on the ravioli, sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and a little raw diced apple, perhaps some creme fraiche to really gild the lilly.  Then grab a fork and go!