Toss aside the idea that pumpkin is only used in sweet rolls or pies. Go to restaurants in the Big Apple or search the Internet, and discover that this old favorite, pumpkin ravioli, has a new twist with sage and brown butter sauce and is all the rage.
Today, this updated variation appears on bistro and haute cuisine restaurant menus alike. Everyone has a slight variation, but the bottom line is pumpkin ravioli is a hit. The following recipe is straight from a staff member of a New York City restaurant, who says it is a simple version that busy working folks can make and enjoy.
Using pre-made wonton wraps helps to ease and speed the preparation. (Wonton wraps work well, but feel free to have the fun of making ravioli from scratch. It’s really not that difficult.) Just spoon a dollop of cheesy pumpkin filling into the center of a wrap, brush the edges with egg wash, fold into a triangle, seal the edges with your fingers, and repeat. Voila!
Using the freshest cheeses, pumpkin and spices you can find is the key to success. Your first stop of course is the Saratoga Farmers’ Market where the ingredients marked * are available now.
Ingredients (For four servings)
1 cup cooked fresh pumpkin purée *
¼ cup fresh chèvre goat cheese *
⅓ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese *
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinches of salt and black pepper
30-32 wonton wraps
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water) *
1½ tbs. butter
½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
Crushed fresh sage *
Directions
1. Preparing the pumpkin purée: Bake seeded pie pumpkin halves in pans with two inches of hot water for 75 minutes at 375 degrees. Scoop out the softened innards and purée with a food processor. Freeze extra for later use. (If you can’t find pie pumpkins at the Market, buttercup squash makes a terrific alternative.)
2. For the filling: In a bowl, combine the cooked pumpkin with the Parmesan and chèvre cheeses, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and blend into a smooth mixture.
3. Place a wonton wrap on a clean surface and brush its edges lightly with egg wash. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrap. Fold over the wrap into a triangle and pinch edges tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining wonton wraps and filling.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the ravioli until soft and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain.
5. For the sauce: While the ravioli is boiling, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring until it begins to turn a deep golden brown. Add the broth and bring to a boil and toss the cooked ravioli into the sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with a small amount of crushed sage.
A version of this market recipe appears in this week’s edition of Saratoga Today. Ingredients marked with an asterisk (*) are available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.
