Pumpkin Ravioli
We used to call it “autumn,” but this time of year seems to be rapidly becoming, at least amongst consumers, pumpkin spice season. Aside from the phenomenon of the pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin spice flavors and fragrances have taken over groceries, home goods, and even makeup. On a recent trip to the grocery store I clocked: pumpkin spice waffles, pancakes, sweet rolls, doughnuts, toaster pastries, quick breads, cookies, coffee, tea, creamer, ice cream, multiple kinds of cereal hot and cold, beer, liqueur, cider, cream cheese, hummus, salsa, corn chips, chocolates, fruit butter, fruit leather, power bars, soup, braising sauce, baking mixes, and bagels.
As discussed in my column about pumpkin groceries, pumpkin spice doesn't really taste like pumpkin; it is a warm cinnamon-based flavor reminiscent of baked goods. On its own, pumpkin has the somewhat bland flavor of the winter squash that it is, somewhere between cabocha, butternut, and acorn. Of them, pumpkin is the most cultivated for both table and field, as it is popular and easy to grow, and therefore profitable. There is a lot of folklore around pumpkins which no doubt accounts to some degree for their popularity, especially during this time of year. But pumpkin is a vegetable that plays well with other flavors and ingredients, and that versatility is the true source of its popularity with cooks, diners, and drinkers.
As autumn settles into its depth, here
is the second of two recipes – one sweet, one savory -- that take
advantage of the versatility, popularity, and prevalence of pumpkins:
pumpkin ravioli. These ravioli showcase pumpkin's flavor and texture
with hints of Parmesan and sage. I serve them either sauteed in
butter to accompany roasted pork, or enveloped in a cream sauce for a
quick, deeply satisfying weeknight dinner. Serve your pumpkin ravioli
with leaf lettuces with sherry-orange vinaigrette, or with roasted autumn vegetables. Decant a rich white wine such as Toasted Head's
supple, warmly spiced Chardonnay or Foxen's exemplary Chenin Blanc.
Pumpkin Ravioli
Be sure to get canned pumpkin puree and
not pumpkin pie filling; the label should state 100% pure pumpkin
with no fillers such as other squashes. To learn about canned
pumpkin, click here for Urban Home Blog's Guide to Pumpkin Groceries.
For the ravioli
1-¼ cups canned pumpkin puree
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package wonton wrappers, small or
large
Unsalted butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For cream sauce
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cake flour
¾ cup heavy cream
Ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
For browned butter with sage
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ tablespoon dried rubbed sage
Prepare the pumpkin
- Line a 9 x 13 rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter the paper.
- Spread the pumpkin puree in a layer about ½ inch thick on the buttered parchment.
- Sprinkle the pumpkin lightly with salt.
- Place the pumpkin into an oven set to 275 degrees F. Roast the pumpkin puree until it has thickened and begun to brown, approximately 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel. Set aside to cool, approximately 10 minutes.
- Saute the shallot in a bit of butter until it is translucent and fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.
- Use a silicon spatula to scrape the cooled, baked pumpkin into a large mixing bowl. Add the sauteed shallot with any butter left in the pan, Parmesan, sage, nutmeg, and several grindings of fresh black pepper to the pumpkin. Stir together to incorporate.
- Fill each ravioli as follows:
- if using large wrappers, place about 1 tablespoon filling in the center of 12 wrappers. Moisten the outer edge of each square with water. Position another wrapper onto the square, centered on the mound of filling, aligned with the water line. Pinch each wrapper together at the water line to seal each ravioli.
- if using small wrappers, place about ½ tablespoon filling in the center of 24 wrappers. Moisten the outer edge of each square with water. Fold the wrapper up at a diagonal to form a triangle. Pinch each wrapper together at the water line to seal each ravioli.
Cook the ravioli
- Fill a saucepan ¾ with water. Add a generous toss of salt to the water. Bring the water to a full boil.
- Once the water reaches full boil, reduce heat to medium low. Gently place the ravioli, one by one, into the gently boiling water.
- Cook the ravioli until tender, 8 – 10 minutes. It is okay to cook the ravioli in batches.
- Drain and serve with cream sauce or browned butter and sage.
- Melt the butter over low heat until foamy. Whisk the cake flower into the foamed butter until the mixture is thick and slightly toasty, approximately 2 minutes.
- Gently whisk the cream into the butter-flour roux, pouring constantly and whisking constantly.
- Whisk the sauce until it is slightly thickened and very fragrant, approximately 3 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, season with a pinch of ground nutmeg and a grinding of fresh black pepper.
- Drizzle the ravioli with cream sauce. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan.
- Melt the butter over low heat until foamy. Whisk the rubbed sage into the foamy butter. Working safely, swirl the pan over the heat until the butter turns dark and very fragrant.
- Safely drizzle the ravioli with browned butter. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan.
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