For my next pumpkin recipe, I wanted to make something savory. I know I don’t have very many main course recipes on here and so I thought it was time to stop neglecting this very important category. Scroll all the way to the bottom to get to the recipe, there are quite a few large photos in this one.
I love pumpkin ravioli. I order it a lot when I see it at a restaurant, which is actually not very often (especially since I haven’t been to a restaurant in almost a year!). I don’t even like pumpkin that much, but encased in ravioli? Yes, please. There’s something about the balance of sweet and savory that I absolutely love.
There are three parts to this recipe, making it a little tedious. But you can definitely take a lot of shortcuts along the way.
First, you have to make your pasta. I had never made my own pasta before. I’ve watched my dad do it though, so I thought, “how hard could this be?” And it really isn’t too difficult…. but it was quite tiring for me. I’m pretty sure you can just buy pasta sheets or premade pasta dough if you wanted to skip this step. However, I will say this: I’m not sure if the pasta is actually better, but it does taste more satisfying when you’ve made it by hand.
You don’t need a pasta maker. I used one but I know you can just roll out your dough with a rolling pin. You also don’t need to have a ravioli mold. I did not use one and I felt like mine turned out great! I’m sure it does make it easier though, I had to really guesstimate about how much filling to put in and where. But it was definitely doable, so don’t listen to all those recipes that say you need to use one!
Now let’s talk about making the filling. This is hands-down the easiest part of this recipe, with the sauce being a close second (honestly, assembling the pasta was the most work!). You literally just mix everything together. You can also add or leave out whatever ingredients you want. Play around with it! Just make sure your end result isn’t too runny. I accidentally made a lot of extra filling, however, I read that you can use leftover ravioli filling for a quick pasta sauce.
Lastly, the sauce. I made a brown butter, rosemary, and thyme sauce but you can use whatever sauce or topping you want. I do highly recommend a browned butter sauce since the nuttiness of it pairs so perfectly with the pumpkin. I also added mushrooms and garlic for flavor and to make it a little more substantial.
Finish your pumpkin ravioli off with some red pepper flakes and more parmesan! This is a really amazing dish, especially for fall or winter. Don’t be intimidated by homemade pasta, it’s really not that hard to make and so so worth it.
Store any leftovers (we actually ended up eating all of it that night!) in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Pumpkin Ravioli
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
For the filling:
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (plus 1 more for an egg wash)
- 1/4 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 5 to 6 cloves diced garlic
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- rosemary
- thyme
- red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the pasta dough:
- Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
- Crack the eggs in the well. Use a fork to beat the eggs, slowly bringing the flour in from each side. Keep incorporating the flour evenly until a dough starts to form. If it's too sticky, keep adding more flour.
- Flour your hands and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes. It should be smooth, soft, and elastic.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (I left mine for 2 hours).
Make the filling:
- In a medium-large bowl, combine all filling ingredients together. Let it sit until your pasta is ready. If it starts to get watery from the pumpkin puree, use a paper towel and blot the excess liquid.
Assemble the raviolis:
- Separate your dough into 4 even portions. Flatten with your palm into an oval disc.
- Using a pasta maker, roll out your dough. Start with the largest setting, roll it out a couple of times, then move 2 settings down. Make sure your dough is well floured so it doesn't catch in the machine. Continue until you're rolling your pasta at the second to last (thinnest) setting. It should be as thin as you can make it but it shouldn't tear when you work with it. (If you don't have a pasta maker, see the note below).
- Lay your pasta sheets out onto a floured surface. Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop filling evenly spaced onto sheets.
- Whisk an egg. Brush onto the filling and all over the pasta sheets.
- Lay another pasta sheet on top and press around the filling to seal. Use a pizza cutter to cut out squares with the filling in the center.
- Using a fork, press into the edges to make sure they're fully sealed. Ensure the ravioli is well-floured (you don't want them to stick together) and place them on a plate. If you want to be extra careful, place plastic wrap or wax paper between layers.
Make the sauce:
- In a medium-large saucepan, melt your butter over medium heat. Keep cooking until it reaches a golden brown color, about 5-8 minutes. Stir constantly. Once golden brown, take off the heat immediately to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Add all other ingredients into the butter. Add the rosemary and thyme a little at a time until you're happy with the flavor (try to cook it a little before tasting to make sure it releases the flavor).
- Heat a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook the ravioli in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain.
- Place ravioli into the saucepan with the brown butter sauce. Mix to evenly coat the pasta. Serve warm with more parmesan on top.
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