What you need:
Ravioli Filling--
-1 acorn squash
-about 5 oz ricotta cheese
-cinnamon
-nutmeg
-salt & pepper
Ravioli Dough--
-1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
(I imagine you can with substitute whole wheat flour)
-2 Eggs
-about 1 tablespoon olive oil
Garnish--
-about 10 large fresh sage leaves
-1 tablespoon of butter
- olive oil
-brown sugar
Start by cutting the acorn squash in quarters and scooping out the seeds. Roast the squash at 400 degrees with just a drizzle of olive oil if you so desire, it should take about 35 minutes for the acorn flesh to be tender. Once cooked, leave the squash to cool before scooping out the flesh and discarding the skin. It is better to use a food processor for the next part--put the squash, ricotta cheese, about a 1/4 teaspoons of cinnamon and nutmeg. Season the the mixture with some salt and pepper and start the processor watching as the filling starts reaching a somewhat smother consistency (the squash should be broken down and not lumpy). While blending, make sure to taste the mixture in between to see if additional salt (or pepper) are needed--it will be likely that additional cinnamon and nutmeg are not needed, but it is up to you. Once the filling is complete, set aside and start making the ravioli dough.
Just like any other dough, mix the flour, eggs and olive oil until you can form dough into a smooth ball. You can separate the dough into however many smaller pieces as is manageable to work with using your rolling pin and board...if you have a pasta machine, even better--and I would need you to share instructions on how to use it! :) (I think it would need to be set so the dough is rolled out as thin and wide as possible) Roll out each section at a time as thin as you can without letting it tear--keep in mind to keep dusting the space and dough with plenty of flour to prevent things from getting stick. Once rolled out in a rectangular shape, start spooning the filling in about an inch or so apart from each other on one side of the dough. Fold the empty side of the dough over and apply pressure around the filled parts creating small pillows. Now cut out each ravioli using either a cookie cutter or a small cup for even, round edges. Once each ravioli is cut out, press down hard with your fingers along the sides of each ravioli and place aside. Repeat this process with the rest of your dough and filling. Once the ravioli are made, go ahead and put them into a pot of boiling salted water (they will float once they are done--simply drain after they are cooked and place into your serving dish). As the ravioli cooks, heat a small pan between low to medium heat, drizzle with olive oil and place sage leaves flat in the pan. Keep them in the pan stirring around every so often until they are stiff and crisp, now add the butter, 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar (optional) and a little salt and a dash of nutmeg. Give this a quick stir and pour over the ravioli.
What I liked about making the ravioli was the thought that I could, in theory, mash up any tasty vegetables or leftover roast chicken or beef, and make a new dinner out of it in the form of ravioli. Can you think of any other 'left overs' ravioli filling that would make for a tasty next day meal?
