Whole-Wheat Butternut Squash Ravioli

Used a butternut squash from our csa box. Our side salad was mixed greens from out csa box, as well.

Comments: Next time, I will use a pasta-maker, or just not do it, because rolling out pasta is a huge P.A.I.N. Also, I used whole wheat flour, which made it especially tough, so next time (if there is a next time) I would add more water to the dough. The filling was too sweet and butternutty for my liking, so adding more ricotta and perhaps a bit of salt and other spices would be a nice addition. Finally, I did a terrible job of measuring for this recipe, so the recipe listed below is my "best guess" plus any modifications based on the end result.

Verdict: **** (**) One child did NOT like the ravioli. The other two children ate it without enthusiasm, which I suppose is good? And, my mom and sister were over, and they liked it, but agree that a pasta maker would be a necessity if I were to do this again. :)


Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli

For the Pumpkin-ricotta filling
1½-2 cups butternut squash, cubed and roasted (400F oven until tender) I used a medium-ish and didn't measure the roasted cubes.
1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Pulse in food processor until smooth
Can be prepared in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use

Pasta with whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup white flour
1 1/4 cup Whole wheat flour
1 Egg
1 egg white
12-16 tbsp water

Mix flours together. Make a well in the center and add eggs and 6 tbsp water. Mix with a spoon until starting to come together, adding more water as necessary. Pasta dough should be fairly dry. Finish mixing dough by hand, gathering it into a ball. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes before working with it. Dough and pasta can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.

Roll dough out very thin (basically as thin as you can manage if you don’t have a hand cranked pasta maker) and cut into strips, depending on how much pasta-to-filling ratio you’d like. Place teaspoonfuls of filling along a strip, cover with a second strip and seal tightly around each ravioli. Be sure to get all the air out of the pocket around the filling. You can wet the pasta strips with a little water around the fillings so they’ll stick together better if your pasta gets dry as you’re working with it. Let ravioli dry on a towel for at least 30 minutes – flip them over to dry both sides - before cooking to avoid clumping. Cook in boiling, salted water for approximately 5-7 minutes (longer time needed for thicker pasta).

Top with melted butter or olive oil, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a handful of toasted pistachios (or pinenuts). Strong sauces will overpower the filling.
Makes 3-4 dozen ravioli, depending on size.

If you have some pasta dough left over, you can also cut the pasta into noodles or shapes. Let pasta dry on a rack or on a towel for about 30 minutes before cooking to avoid clumping. If you’re just making noodles, cook in salted, boiling water for 1-2 minutes.