Butternut Squash Ravioli

A popular and perfect combination for ravioli is butternut squash. Roasted beforehand and left to cool it makes the perfect ravioli filling. In this recipe I have combined the squash with some ricotta for a smoother, creamier finish but you can omit this if you want to, and just use parmesan or a hard cheese.

I love serving this up with a sage butter, drizzled on top to coat each ravioli and scattered with grated parmesan. For a finishing touch, hold back a couple of spoonfuls of the squash to heat through with the butter and serve scattered on top.

If you haven’t made pasta before this recipe walks you through each step, from making the dough to rolling and creating your ravioli shapes.

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Butternut Squash and Ricotta Ravioli

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 1 H & 30 MCooking time: 10 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 2 H & 10 M

A popular and perfect combination for ravioli is butternut squash.

Ingredients

Pasta Dough

• 200g pasta flour
• 2 large eggs

Butternut Squash and Ricotta filling

• 1 Butternut squash, diced and roasted
• 150g soft ricotta
• 25g grated parmesan cheese
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Sage Butter

• 50g salted butter
• 6 – 10 Sage leaves

Instructions

For the filling

1. Roast your butternut squash ahead of time so it has time to cool. Dice it into 1cm cubed piece, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and any freshly chopped herbs such as sage or rosemary. Roast for 35 - 40 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees. 
2. Once it has cooled, gently mash your squash using a fork or masher.
3. Then in a bowl add a large spoonful of ricotta and mix with the squash. Depending on the size of your butternut squash you may want to add more ricotta. You want get a smooth texture.
4. Next add the grated parmesan and combine.
5. Season the mixture with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste. You may also want to add a sprinkling of chilli flakes for a little heat.

For the pasta dough

1. The ratio of 100g to each egg always works well, so you can alter as required.
2. I like to use a big wooden board for my pasta dough, but you can use your work surface, a large plate or a bowl, whatever you’re comfortable with.
3. Empty your flour on to the board and make a well in the centre of the flour.
4. Crack the eggs into the well.
5. Using a fork gradually mix the egg and slowly introduce the flour (try to not break the wall if using a board).
6. It will start to form a light batter like mix, keep bringing the flour into the mix until it’s formed enough to use your hands to bring it together. Don’t worry If you haven’t used all the flour.
7. Using your hands, combine it together and using the heel of your palm begin to knead it to form a dough.
8. Push the dough away from you, fold back on itself and rotate 90 degrees and continue this method for 5-10 minutes until you get a nice smooth dough, that springs back when you touch it.
9. Wrap it in BeeBee wrap, or some cling film and leave to rest for about 20-30 minutes.
10. If you’re going to leave it any longer I recommend resting it in the fridge (up to 24 hours)

Make your ravioli

1. If you have a pasta machine this is by far the easiest and quickest way to roll pasta sheets, otherwise a rolling pin will do the job perfectly!
2. Halve the pasta dough to make it easier. If you’re using a machine I usually recommend to start by going to setting 6, as you get more confident you can make your dough thinner. If you’re hand rolling your dough, keep rolling until you have thin sheet of pasta, like a lasagne sheet, about 3mm thick
3. Once your pasta dough is rolled and ready cut two sheets so they’re roughly the same size in length.
4. On one piece, start to place evenly spaced teaspoons of filling along the sheet, use a fork’s width to measure between them.
5. Place the other piece of dough over the top and gently push round the filling pushing out any air as you go. You can also fold the pasta dough over the filling if you find this easier.
6. If you have a stamp use it to cut the raviolis. If these don’t cut through the dough use a pasta cutter wheel to define the shapes and edges and cut them into shape. Alternatively use a knife to cut into squares, and if needed crimp the edges with a fork to seal them.
7. Place on a well floured baking tray, plate or straight on to a tea towel.
8. To cook the ravioli bring a pan of water to the boil, add some salt and add the ravioli to the pan, let cook for approximately 3-5 minutes depending on how thick your dough was.
9. While that’s cooking, melt the butter in a pan and add the sage leaves to flavour.
10. Once the ravioli is cooked, add it to the pan with the butter to coat the ravioli. Serve, drizzle in the remaining butter and grate some parmesan on top.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

646.25

Fat (grams)

15.34

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.63

Carbs (grams)

104.98

Fibre (grams)

10.32

Net carbs

94.66

Sugar (grams)

4.99

Protein (grams)

23.55

Sodium (milligrams)

622.06

Cholesterol (grams)

41.52

https://www.cookingandcarafes.co.uk/recipes/butternut-squash-ravioli

ravioli, butternut squash ravioli, pasta making, homemade ravioli

Pasta

Italian

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Ragù filled Tortellini

This tortellini filled with a rich, slow cooked, flavoursome ragù are perfect for wintery days and nights and they make a fun activity for a rainy weekend too!

Tortellini

Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 celery stick, finely chopped

• 1 large carrot, finely chopped

• 500g beef mince

• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

• Extra Virgin Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp tomato puree

• 100ml red wine

• 2 x 400g plum tomatoes / finely chopped tinned tomatoes

Method

1. Add 3 tbsps of olive oil your pan, ensure it covers the base, if it doesn’t add some more.

2. Add the finely chopped onion, celery and carrot to the olive oil and cook on a low heat. Add a pinch of salt, stir and then put the lid loosely on to allow the soffritto (the mix of onion, celery and carrot) to cook. Stir occasionally and ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom or burn. Cook for about ten minutes until it is soft but not burnt.

3. Add the rosemary and the mince and season with pepper and stir, increase the heat a little and allow the meat to brown.

4. Stir in the tbsp of tomato puree.

5. Then add the wine and on a medium heat, allow this to simmer with the meat.

6. Then add the tomatoes, I like to use one tin of plum tomatoes and one tin of finely chopped tomatoes but use what you have

7. Now allow the ragù to simmer on a low heat for at least an hour and a half. If it looks a little dry at any point add a splash of water. The ideal here is to cook slowly and for a long time to really allow the flavours to come together.

8. If you have a leftover parmesan rind I suggest adding towards the end when the sauce is looking a nice rich, thick consistency.

You want the sauce to be a nice thick consistency as you don’t want it to watery, as it won’t work when you fill the pasta. However, the key is you have to put the ragù into the fridge to allow to cool before filling your pasta. Ideally leave to cool over night, or at least three hours before filling the pasta.

This ragù will make more than enough to fill countless tortellini, I suggest you use what you need for your tortellini and freeze the remaining ragù for another day.

For the pasta (for two people)

• 200g pasta flour

• 2 eggs

Ratio of 1 egg to 100g flour per person

1. Create a well in in the flour on your wooden board

2. Crack the eggs into the middle

3. Lightly whisk the egg in the middle slowly combining the flour until it starts to form a sticky dough

4. Then get your hands stuck in and bring it together. Knead lightly for 5-10 minutes until you have a springy dough

5. Leave to rest for half an hour

6. When you’re ready roll, your pasta into thin sheets to about number 6 or 7 on your pasta machine

7. Cut your dough into squares using a knife, or if you’re feeling confident you can use a pastry cutter but I recommend starting with straight edged squares initially. If this is the first time you’re making tortellini I would start with a larger square approximately 4 x 4cm (once you’re confident reduce to 3 x 3cm) add 1/2 teaspoon of filling into the middle.

8. Then fold the pasta over the filling into a diamond.

9. Slowly seal the pasta around the filling so you have a triangle.

10. Then bring the two bottom points of the triangle together so they overlap and seal.

11. Try to ensure you have no air trapped in the tortellini and that they are sealed. properly. If you need to, use a very small amount of water to seal them, too much and they will go sticky and be no use. Just wet your finger and run round the edge before sealing.

12. Place the tortellini on a tea towel or pasta dryer while you prepare the others.

13. When you’re ready add the pasta to boiling water, add a little salt, and cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes.

14. There are many ways you can serve this pasta, either just with a drizzle of olive oil and some parmesan; a butter sauce perhaps with a little sage; or even with a white or tomato sauce. Take your pick and enjoy! I also like adding some breadcrumbs with finely chopped rosemary toasted in olive oil and adding as a finishing touch!

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Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

Want to make your own fresh pasta but don’t know where to start? I’m sharing my top tips along with a new recipe for making homemade Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli 🥟

My first tip for pasta making is to have fun! I meet so many people that say “I love pasta but I’ve never tried making my own”, it’s honestly not as hard as you think. Some of the best pastas are the simplest dishes and that goes for the pasta too. You can always start with easier shapes, for example you could just start with lasagne sheets or tagliatelle and as your confidence grows get more adventurous.

The dough

• 200g 00 flour

• 2 large eggs

The ratio of 100g to each egg always works well, so you can alter as required.

Do this however you feel comfortable, when I first started out making pasta regularly I used to use a mixing bowl as it was all I had, but now I have a big wooden board which I prefer to use, I know I’ve watched Gennaro Contaldo do it perfectly on a large plate too! Whatever you choose follow these simple steps:

1. Make a well in the centre of the pasta.

2. Crack the eggs into the well.

3. Using a fork gradually mix the egg and slowly introduce the flour (try to not break the wall if using a board).

4. It will start to form dough like clumps (I don’t know how else to explain it!), don’t worry, this is normal.

5. Using your hands, combine it together and begin to knead it to form a dough.

6. Knead it for 5-10 minutes until you get a springy dough.

7. Wrap it in cling film or a beeswax wrap and leave to rest for about 20-30 minutes.

   If you’re going to leave it any longer I recommend resting it in the fridge. I always used to think this was best but actually you can leave it at room temperature if it’s not for too long.

Spinach and ricotta ravioli

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients:

• 200g Ricotta
• 100g cooked spinach (weight when drained and squeezed of any excess water), then roughly chopped
• 25g grated parmesan cheese
• Freshly grated nutmeg to flavour
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. While your dough is resting you can be preparing the filling for your ravioli.

2. Mix the ricotta and spinach together in a bowl and add the parmesan, tehn season with a good grating of fresh nutmeg plus salt and pepper to taste. The nutmeg really does make all the difference to the flavour so if you have some, use it!

3. Now your filling is ready it’s time to roll the dough. If you have a pasta machine this is by far the easiest and quickest way to roll pasta sheets but if this is your first time use the rolling pin in your kit.

4. Halve the pasta dough to make it easier and on a well floured surface begin to roll your dough, keep rolling until you have a long, thin sheet of pasta, like a lasagne sheet, about 3mm thick and as long as you can get it.

5. Once your pasta dough is rolled and ready cut two sheets so they’re roughly the same size in length.

6. On one piece, start to place evenly spaced teaspoons of filling along the sheet, if you have one leave enough space for you to use the ravioli stamp around each ball of filling. Once you’ve done that, place the other piece of dough over the top and gently push round each bit of filling pushing out any air as you go. You can also fold the pasta dough over the filling if you find this easier, push out the air and seal the edges using a fork.

7. If you have a stamp use it to cut the raviolis. If these don’t cut through the dough use a pasta cutter wheel to define the shapes and edges and cut them into shape.

8. Place on a well floured baking tray, or tea towel. Use semolina or pastsa flour to stop the shapes from sticking.

9. To cook the ravioli bring a pan of water to the boil, add some salt and add the ravioli to the pan, let cook for approximately 3-5 minutes depending on how thick your dough was, they’ll float to the top when ready.

You’ve made your own fresh pasta dish from scratch!

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Top Tip

If you don’t want to cook all the ravioli at once or prepare in advance, put them in the fridge on the baking tray, or freeze them flat until they’re part frozen and put into a freezer bag to stop them sticking together.

Keep it simple when serving, either a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and some parmesan or I added a little tomato sauce (fresh or chopped tomatoes with garlic, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper)

BUON APPETITO!

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