This post is all about why it is super important to read directions and recipes ALL THE WAY THROUGH before starting. Or else, you could end up with 13 pounds of pumpkin worth of pumpkin puree…. I mean there literally isn’t enough days in the Fall for me to make a pumpkin-flavored snack every day.

Like most girls, I look forward to fall for the following reasons: Scarves make my giddy, Sweatshirts cozy my heart, Fall leaves are one of the most beautiful things, and duh- Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks! Hu-Low! L.L.P.S- Ladies Love Pumpkin Stuff. I became obsessed over the last few weeks over pumpkin ravioli and of course I wanted to make the whole shabang from scratch. So I did some research and came across a Martha Stewart recipe that I decided I would use as my starting point.

I want you all to see what I see. This is the link to the Martha recipe. Does that look like 1, 3 pound pumpkin or a 13 pound pumpkin? Because yours truly read it as 13…. I’ve got a freezer full of pumpkin puree. I mean, I could eat pumpkin all day, but December 1 ends pumpkin season and starts peppermint & s’more season and there just ain’t enough time.

Anyway, the Pumpkin Ravioli were a success. This may shock you, but when I try the DIY thing with food, it typically ends in a total disaster. Yes it is easier to but a can of pumpkin puree, but there’s just something about a fresh pumpkin. And as for the homemade pasta- I mean, talk about a party trick! And it’s super simple! Of course, you can buy pre-made pasta sheets too.

Since there are many steps, lets get started

Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli
Makes 35 ravioli

What You Need:
Pasta Machine- a rolling pin will work, but be warned, you will have an intense arm work-out
Ravioli cutter- you can also use  a pizza cutter to form the square shapes and then close the ravioli using a fork

Ingredients for the Ravioli Filling
1- 3 pound pumpkin or 1 1/2 Cups pumpkin puree
drizzle olive oil,
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 Cup ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 Cup panko bread crumbs
1 Egg
1 Shallot, chopped,
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, roasted in the oven until golden brown (Roast the entire bulb, as it will be used in the brown butter sage sauce.)
5 Sage leaves, julienned

Ingredients for the Pasta Sheets
(If you are making fresh pasta, otherwise you will be 1 1/2 pounds of pasta sheets)
3 1/4 Cups semolina flour
4 Eggs
4 Tablespoon olive oil
1/3-1/2 Cup of water

Ingredients for Brown Butter Sage Sauce
1/3 Cup pumpkin seeds, optional (can also use pine nuts)
6 slices of bacon
1/2 Cup butter
3 Tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped
Salt to Taste
Pepper to Taste
3/4 Cup chicken stock
1/4 Cup craisens

Directions:

For the Ravioli Filling: If you are choosing to make your pumpkin puree, start by slicing a 3 pound pumpkin in half, drizzling it with olive oil, salt, and pepper,  and roasting in a 400 degree fahrenheit oven to 60 minutes or until it is  fork tender. This is a good time to roast an entire bulb of garlic for around 25-30 minutes. It will be used in the filling and in the brown butter sauce.

Since I bought a 13 pound pumpkin…

Once the pumpkin is roasted and cooled, puree in a food processor until it looks like this:

Once the puree is cooled, add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, panko bread crumbs, shallot, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, sage leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine until well mixed. Then, let set in the fridge for at least one hour.

For the Pasta Sheets: While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare a clean surface to begin making the pasta dough. Pour your semolina flour into the shape of a volcano. In the center dome, stir your eggs and olive oil. Then, slowly begin incorporating the flour into the center of the “volcano.” If it is too dry, add water a little bit as a time until it all comes together. The dough will feel rough at first. Kneed the dough for 5 minutes to soften it up. When the dough is ready, it will be smooth. Then cover and place in a cool, dark place for at least one hour.

When it’s been an hour. Separate the dough into baseball size balls.

Then flatten it into disks and place into the pasta machine in the number 2 setting. Then, run it through the machine again in the number 5 setting. If you are rolling your dough out, I’m sure you’ve eaten ravioli and I trust your judgement. ** This is a safe space, we do not judge, just eat. But in all seriousness, roll the dough out until it is about 1/4 inch thick.

Lay the sheet flat and mark the center, as it is where you will fold the dough over. Using a ravioli cutter, create a ravioli blueprint on half of the pasta sheet by gently pressing the outline of the ravioli into the dough. Then, fill the center of your marking with a tablespoon of the pumpkin filling. Fold the half of the pasta sheet over top and use the pasta ravioli cutter to cut out your ravioli.

If you don’t have a ravioli cutter, you can use a cup to cut out little circles. Drop a teaspoon or tablespoon of filling, depending on the size, into the center of our circle. Then place another circle on top of the filing and close it by sealing the edges with a fork.

Your ravioli will look something like this:

 Let the ravioli rest for one hour minimum before cooking. When ready to cook, drop into a salted, boiling pot of water 7-10 ravioli at a time. when the ravioli are done, they will float to the top. They cook in 2-4 minutes.

For the Brown Butter Sage Sauce: Render the far from 6 slices of bacon, if desired. Once, brown remove form pan and set aside. Brown butter in a medium sized pan. To brown butter, you simply drop it in a pan on medium heat and stir constantly, but not crazy- just enough to keep your eye on it. As the butter browns it will bubble and foam. Once browned, add in pumpkin seeds, sage, salt, and pepper. Remember those garlic cloves you roasted earlier? Remove the cloves from that weird papery thing (clearly I’m not a professional), and add it to the sauce. Cook for about 15 minutes. It will get super thick and start to stick to the pan. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and cook for another 10 minutes. Add more chicken stock, if needed. Then drizzle on top of the ravioli. and sprinkle with craisen and bacon which is optional.

As complicated as this recipe seems, it really isn’t. it’s all about time management. While the pumpkin in roasting, start on your pasta. While the pasta is resting make your filling and let it rest. Then form your ravioli. While they’re finishing resting, start of the sauce and BAM! Pumpkin Ravioli.

 Sweet, sweet pumpkin ravioli. How I love you so.

To make this vegetarian, leave out the bacon and substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock.