Butternut Squash Ravioli with Oregon Blue Cheese and Caramelized Red Onions
Ingredients:
Filling:
15 oz. butternut squash puree (2 small squash or one fairly large squash, cooked down)
2 T olive oil
1/4 C veggie broth
1 garlic clove, pasted
1/4 t dried sage
dash ground cinnamon
dash of ground nutmeg
1/4 t dried, ground ginger
1 demarrara sugar cube
1 egg
1/2 C grated Parmigiano Reggiano (can opt. for American Mozzarella to keep costs down)
1/2 C Ricotta (*save remainder, in fridge, for next week's pasta-less lasagna recipe)
1/4
C blue cheese to pinch inside each ravioli (If you cannot find Rogue's
Blue any sweet Gorgonzola will do; avoid any Danish blue cheeses, they
are too strong for this dish)
salt and pepper to taste
Butter-Sage Sauce:
15-20 fresh sage leaves (from home plant, store or 2 t dried sage if fresh is not available/affordable)
2 T olive oil
4-5 T butter, salted
Caramelized Onions:
1 red onion, thinly sliced in rings
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
3-4 T maple syrup (to taste preferences)
Pasta:
2 3/4 C flour (semolina is preferred, but all-purpose will suffice)
3 eggs
2 T olive oil
pinch of salt (optional, just make sure to liberally salt the boiling water)
*1 extra egg, whisked for egg wash
Preparation:
Chop squash into large cubes and set into pot of water that mostly covers the squash. Bring to boil, re-set to simmer and cover pot for 20 minutes or until flesh of squash visibly begins to pull away from the skin. Drain pot and set squash in bowl of cool water for 5-10 minutes. Lightly squeeze chunks to remove excess water and add flesh to puree bowl. Puree in mixer or emulsion blender until thick and smooth. Add puree to small stock pot and add oil, broth, garlic, seasonings and sugar. Let simmer, covered for 20 minutes, add egg, Parm and Ricotta. Store in fridge if planning to use at a later time, or let rest on stove, covered and while you make the pasta (if pasta was made ahead of time, proceed to caramelized onions and butter-sage sauce directions below). ***Set aside half of the puree and store in freezer or fridge for next week's squash recipe. Keep blue cheese in fridge until ready to build ravioli pillows.
I got the pasta recipe from a pasta book my Aunt Zona received a number of years ago. I used the recipe that came with my Atlas pasta maker for awhile, but I like this one better, as it includes olive oil, which I think helps keep the pasta from drying out too quickly before you can get it into the pot. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl, then form a well (like a volcano) in the center. The well should be wide and tall enough to contain the 3 eggs and olive oil. Add eggs and oil and whisk slowly, gradually incorporating the flour mixture. Once most of the flour mixture has been incorporated, flour a dry surface and proceed to gently knead the pasta dough; if too sticky, it needs more flour, if too dry add a T of water at a time. Once the mixture feels smooth and firm, wrap dough in plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes, or let rest in fridge until ready to use (if planning on using at a later time, remove from fridge 20-30 minutes prior to use; will keep for 3-4 days). Return to dough and roll out small handfuls at a time, ending at level 6 or 7 on your hand crank. It should feel silky and smooth to the touch and be a bit thinner than a fettucine noodle (you should not be able to see the silhouette of your fingers through the sheet, if so, it has gotten too thin; fold up and re-roll). Sprinkle a light dusting of flour in between the separate layers of pasta sheets to keep them from sticking. Cut into 2 1/2" squares and fill with 1 t of the butternut squash filling and a pinch of the blue cheese; brush opposing sheet with an egg wash and gently press square sheets together. Plan on making about 6-8 raviolis for each serving; there will probably be left-over pasta dough, just store in fridge to use later (you can roll it out a day or so later to make taglitelle, another ravioli dish or even some lasagna sheets for a small lasagna casserole). Boil for 2-3 minutes and remove from water with slotted spoon. Toss cooked pasta in butter-sage sauce and top over bed of caramelized onions.
Add olive oil and butter to sauce pan, melt on low heat and add sage leaves (or dry sage), let brown lightly and remove from heat, covered.
Add olive oil, butter and bring to low simmer, add red onion and sautee until rings begin to wilt. Stir in maple syrup and keep on very low simmer until rings have browned and reduced in pan 1/3-1/2. Keep covered until ready to use. Follow plating directions in pasta paragraph above, grate any left-over Parm and blue cheese over each plate and enjoy!
Makes 4 servings.
