Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Celebrate the holidays with these Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce. If you've never made ravioli before, never fear! These are easy, have a delicious balance between savory and sweet, and can be made in advance.

We've been making these Pumpkin Ravioli at least once a year for the past 3 or 4 years. They've been the feature for pre-Thanksgiving dinner - you know the one on Wednesday night when the family gets into town. We've had them as a side at Thanksgiving and a main on Christmas Eve.

I've made them for birthdays, Fall celebrations, and just a lazy Sunday afternoon. These Pumpkin Ravioli are a kitchen project that's worth every minute!

Making ravioli from scratch isn't hard!

It does take some time and a little patience, but it's really quite simple.

I wouldn't recommend making these ravioli when you're short on time, but find yourself a lazy weekend afternoon, make a batch. I find the process of making pasta dough to be incredibly cathartic, from the physical effort of kneading the dough, to the relaxing act to rolling it through the pasta machine.

One of the best things about these ravioli is that you can make them well in advance and freeze them. Then you can cook them from frozen, and make the sauce fresh, on the big day for a savory, festive dish.

I use my go-to pasta dough recipe and make enough for 6 servings. This dough is perfectly pliable and forgiving for making, shaping, folding and cutting the ravioli.

Making pasta dough takes a little time and some kneading, but otherwise all you need is some flour and a few eggs. You start by mounding the flour on a clean work surface, then make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and whisk them with a fork, slowly incorporating the flour from the sides of the well into the egg little by little.

Eventually, you will end up with a sticky-ish dough. Start to knead the dough by pulling the side far from you in half toward you and push the dough back out with the heel of your hand. Turn it one quarter turn, fold in half again and push out with your hand. As you continue kneading, the dough may be sticking to the heel of your hand a little, so you can add a little flour about a tablespoon at a time. Stop adding flour just before the stickiness fully disappears.

At this point, your dough is close to the proper balance of liquid and flour. Continue kneading for 8-10 minutes until a smooth dough forms. Shape it into a ball and cover with a clean towel. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes and 20 minutes at most. If you must leave it for more than 20 minutes, wrap it in plastic and stick it in the fridge.

Then I make the pumpkin filling made from rendered pancetta, ricotta, pumpkin puree, parmesan cheese and spices. Mix it all in a bowl and set aside while you roll out the dough

Split the dough into 12 equal parts and roll each out into a long rectangle, about 5-6 inches wide and as thin as you can before it becomes see-through. You can do this using a pasta machine or a rolling pin.

Pair up the sheets that are closest in size, then start to make the ravioli. Add 1 tablespoon of pumpkin-ricotta filling in dollops with 2-3 inches of space between each. Cover with the matching pasta dough sheet and carefully pinch the spots between the filling.

As you shape around the filling, be careful to push out as much air as possible. Then use a ravioli stamp, pizza cutter or knife to cut out each ravioli. If you use a knife or straight-edged pizza cutter, use a fork to seal the edges of each ravioli.

Bring salted water to a boil, then drop in the ravioli, letting them cook until al dente, about 3-4 minutes.

Finally, we'll make the sage brown butter sauce in a large saute pan. Sizzle the butter and olive oil, letting the butter brown a bit, then add in the shallots and fresh sage leaves. As the ravioli finish cooking, remove them with a slotted spoon directly into the sage brown butter sauce. Toss and serve!

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Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Celebrate the holidays with these Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce! The pumpkin-ricotta filling is a balance of savory and sweet - and they can be made in advance!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Ingredients

Homemade Pasta Dough

• 2 cups + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs

Pumpkin Ricotta Filling

• 1 can (15-oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta
• 1/2 lb pancetta diced + fried
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Sage Brown Butter Sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small shallot diced
• 20 sage leaves

Instructions

• To make the pasta: On a clean surface, add the 2 cups of flour. Make a well in the center and crack in the eggs. Using a fork whisk the eggs together, while slowly incorporating the flour from the surrounding mound. Once a dough starts to form, use you hands to knead into a uniform ball. Add more dough if it continues to stick to your hands. Continue kneading for about 8 minutes, until dough is soft, uniform and smooth. Cover the dough with a towel and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
• In a small saute pan, cook down the pancetta to rend off the fat. Let it cool slightly, then add to a large bowl with the pumpkin puree, ricotta, garlic, parmesan, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic powder, nutmeg and cayenne. Mix well.
• Cut the dough into 12 even pieces and roll each out into a sheet. Line up the sheets and split into pairs that are evenly wide and long. Each sheet should be about 12 inches long. On one piece of dough, dollop 1 tablespoon of filling every 2-3 inches, then cover with another sheet of dough. Press down between each ravioli to press out the air, then cut using a ravioli stamp or a knife. If using a knife, gently press fork tines along all the edges to seal. Repeat with remaining dough sheets and filling.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat a saute pan over medium heat and melt the butter in. Add the olive oil, then let the butter brown for 3-4 minutes. Add in the shallot to soften about 5 minutes, then toss in the sage leaves. Lower the heat and set aside while you cook the ravioli.
• Toss the ravioli 6 at a time into the boiling water. Cook about 3 minutes each, then use a slotted spoon to remove to the brown butter sage sauce. Continue until all ravioli are cooked and tossed in the sauce.