Kabocha Squash Ravioli With Thyme Lemon Butter Recipes

KABOCHA SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH THYME-LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Start by making the filling. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush quartered squash all over with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch sea salt. Lay squash pieces side down in oven, cover tightly with foil and cook until fork tender, 40 - 50 minutes. Use caution when opening foil - the steam plume can be hot.
• When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop flesh from skin and mash with a fork until smooth. Measure 1 2/3 cups mashed squash. Reserve the rest for another use. Use a fork to mix Parmesan into mashed squash. Taste and add sea salt and pepper as needed. Fold in eggs. Set aside while you prepare dough.
• To make ravioli dough, on a large lightly floured board or counter, form a flour mound with 3 cups flour and make a deep well in the center. Crack eggs into a bowl, add milk, and tip into flour well. Gently, whisk eggs with a fork. As you go, slowly incorporate more and more flour. Once eggs and flour are fully incorporated, use your hands to fold flour into mixture. Dough should not be sticky at all - continue folding in flour, adding up to 1/2 cup more as needed. Once dough is no longer sticky, clean the work surface with a pastry scraper and knead dough 8 minutes, until it is very smooth to the touch.
• Divide into 8 equal pieces. Wrap 6 tightly with plastic and keep at room temperature. Cover 1 of the remaining 2 pieces with a tea towel. Set pasta roller to widest setting. Stretch dough into a 5 x 3-inch rectangle. With widest side parallel to the rollers send the dough through several times. Tighten rollers one notch at a time and repeat. When dough reaches 1/16-inch thick and is roughly a 5 x 13-inch rectangle, lay out on a lightly floured surface and roll the second piece of dough.
• If making ravioli by hand, lay dough rectangle out, dot with about 1 tablespoon filling at 1-inch intervals on 1 side only. Brush edges with water. Fold dough over, press around filling, and then cut with a fluted ravioli cutter or sharp knife.
• If using a ravioli maker, lay sheet of dough across metal ravioli mold. Use the plastic mold to press divots for ravioli filling. Add filling. Top with second sheet of dough. Roll over layers with a rolling pin several time until ravioli are sealed. Turn over, and gently release ravioli from mold. Use a ravioli cutter or sharp knife to separate individual ravioli.
• Repeat for remaining dough and filling.
• Before cooking ravioli, make lemon-thyme butter. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add thyme sprigs and sea salt. Simmer very gently for 10 minutes, stirring often to dissolve salt. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest. Before serving, remove thyme sprigs and stir in 1 tablespoon thyme leaves.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add a generous splash of olive oil. Cook ravioli 4 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon.
• Top with a drizzle of lemon-thyme butter and garnish with remaining tablespoon thyme leaves and minced parsley. Serve right away.

KABOCHA RAVIOLI

Steps:

• For the fresh pasta dough: Pour the flour onto a clean work surface and create a well in the center. Add the eggs, oil and salt. Whisk the eggs with a fork until combined, starting to add a little bit of flour to the liquid at a time. Keep whisking until the liquid has combined with enough flour that you can incorporate the rest of the flour with your hands. Continue adding, folding and kneading the dough until everything has been combined, 5 to 8 more minutes. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Place the dough ball in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to rest.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the filling: Sprinkle the squash with salt, pepper and olive oil in a 14-inch cast-iron pan. Roast until cooked through and roasted, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Put into a food processor with the ricotta, nutmeg, 1 egg and half the Parmesan. Place this mixture into a piping bag. Beat the remaining egg in a bowl for egg wash.
• Roll out the pasta dough according to the manufacturer's directions for ravioli sheets.
• With the piping bag, put heaping tablespoon-size dots of the filling at least 3 inches apart and 1 inch above the edge of the pasta sheet. Brush the edges with the egg wash and fold over the dough carefully, pressing out the air from the filling, allowing it to seal. Using a fluted cutter, cut between each of the ravioli to separate. Put the ravioli in the refrigerator to let them set while you wait for your water to come to a boil.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt heavily. Add the ravioli in batches, and cook for 3 minutes, allowing the filling and pasta to cook through. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
• Put the butter in a large, high-sided saute pan and cook over medium-low heat until it reaches a noisette stage, when the butter is bubbling and starting to get a little bit brown. Throw in your crushed walnuts and sage and stir to combine. When the ravioli are cooked, scoop them out of the water and place them in the pan with the butter sauce, tossing to coat.
• Plate the ravioli and garnish with the remaining Parmesan.