Ravioli di zucca, or pumpkin ravioli, originally hail from Mantova, a city south-east of Lombardy, where tradition still favours the consumption of these comforting, creamy parcels on Christmas eve. Pasta ripiena di zucca (pasta filled with pumpkin) dates back as far as the Renaissance period, when pumpkin first appeared on the Italian culinary scene. Decadent pasta ripiena dishes were favoured by the nobility, with pumpkin-filled pasta first mentioned by Cristoforo Messisbugo, chef of the Gonzaga family, who presided over Mantova.
Thus, we implore you to dine like royalty with our comforting pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sage sauce. Robust yet sweet pumpkin is blended with garlic, nutmeg and Italian hard cheese, resulting in a sumptuous vegetarian ravioli filling, encased in delicate, fresh ravioli parcels - a dish truly fit for a king or queen!
Comforting pumpkin ravioli with sage brown butter and Italian hard cheese
Serves 4
Prep time: 80 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Calories per serving: 695kcal
Ingredients:
For the filling
- 600g pumpkin, cubed
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 50g Italian hard cheese
- 50g butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1tsp thyme
- Nutmeg to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the ravioli
- For all you need to know, simply follow our recipe for homemade ravioli
For the sauce and garnish
- 100g butter
- 8 sage leaves
- Black Pepper
- Salt to season
- Shaved Italian hard cheese
Method
To make the ravioli
- Scatter your pumpkin on a baking tray and drizzle with two teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast in a preheated oven (175C) for around 30 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned.
- In a large frying pan, heat a glug of oil, add your shallot and garlic and gently sauté. Add in the butter, allowing it to melt, before tossing in the thyme. Leave a few minutes on low heat, enabling the flavours to delicately infuse.
- Once your pumpkin and the shallot mixture are relatively cool, add them to the bowl of a food processor. Add your grated Italian hard cheese, along with a generous helping of freshly-grated nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse the mixture to combine, ensuring everything is fully incorporated, but aiming to retain some texture in your filling - we find our pasta is best enjoyed a little rustic!
- Transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for an hour.
- Your filling is now complete! To form your delicious ravioli parcels, simply follow our homemade ravioli recipe here.
To make the sage brown butter
- Remove the butter from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature on the counter.
- Chop the sage leaves and add to butter.
- Place the butter in a large pan and gently heat until it develops a deep brown hue, and a nutty flavour. By this point, your sage should be crisp and aromatic. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once cooked, transfer the pasta to the butter. Toss gently to coat.
- To finish, scatter a generous layer of Italian hard cheese atop your ravioli. Finish with a touch more cracked black pepper, perhaps even some toasted breadcrumbs, or nuts of your choice - either will add a great textural element to the dish. Serve and enjoy!
Still hungry for more delicious and fresh vegetarian dishes? Why not try our 5 inspired vegan pesto recipes. Be sure to tag your creations on social media with #pastaevangelists.
Every week Pasta Evangelists offer a range of gourmet vegetarian dishes, all made with the freshest quality ingredients. Use code BLOG10, and we’ll even give you 10% off your first order.