Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli in a Sage Butter with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli

First recipe in a while now that I've finished my university course! I've still been cooking and storing recipes so there's a lot more to go up - but unfortunately I haven't had the time to write them up for the blog. Well now I have! So here's an extra tasty one to get you going again. I was impressed my self with how nice this one actually tasted. I served the ravioli in a sage butter with roasted cherry tomatoes, but you could serve this in whichever sauce you like. Or even just with oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan! I do think it's a shame to put it with a heavy sauce, like a tomato sauce, as the tastes and flavours of the filling are quite delicate and deserve appreciation. Also, I used a pasta rolling machine and a ravioli to make this, however, if you don't have these a rolling pin and a knife do just fine. You may not get the pasta as thin as you will with a roller, but it'll still be delicious.

Ingredients (serves 2 with enough for lunch the next day):

For the pasta:

300g '00' Pasta Flour

3 Medium Eggs

Pinch of Salt

For the filling:

1 Butternut Squash

1 Medium Onion (finely diced)

2 Garlic Cloves (crushed and finely diced)

Pinch of Nutmeg

Drop of White Wine (optional)

Teaspoon Natural Yoghurt

Handful grated Cheese (Italian hard cheese or Cheddar is fine, I used cheddar as I had no Parmesan)

For the coating:

Knob of Butter

Finely chopped fresh sage (or dried, as I used as I had none fresh)

Handful cherry tomatoes, halved

Oil

Sprinkling of cheese

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. To make the pasta, on a clean surface sift the flour into a volcano shape. Crack the eggs into the 'crater' of the volcano, add a pinch of salt and gradually bring together. I usually start with two forks and when it becomes more manageable I use my hands.
3. When the dough will form a ball, cover with a cloth and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, clean the surface and your hands ready for kneading. After 5 minutes, knead the dough for 10 minutes or until it is pliable and elastic.
4. Put on a clean floured tray in a ball, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for half an hour.
5. Meanwhile, get started on the filling. Cut the squash in half and drizzle with oil. You may also want to season it with chopped garlic, any spices along with salt and pepper. I just used salt and pepper.
6. Pop in the oven to roast along with another tray with the halved cherry tomatoes also drizzled with oil and seasoned. This will take about twenty minutes.
7. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside. Leave in the tomatoes, but turn the oven down to 80 - 100 degrees depending on how they are cooking.
8. In a wok, on medium, heat a little bit of olive oil. Add in the garlic and onions. As they soften, scoop the flesh out of the roast squash - making sure to get it all out. Add to the wok. Make sure it is coated in the oil/onions then turn the pan off.
9. Blend all ingredients in the wok together. When blended, mix in yoghurt, cheese and the pinch of nutmeg and set aside to cool.
   
10. Retrieve your pasta dough and roll. You'll need to do this in sections, most likely by splitting the dough ball into about four/five separate balls. If you use a machine like the one above, then you can keep rolling and adjusting the rollers to become gradually tighter to create a thin pasta sheet. If using a rolling pin, keep folding and rolling out until it is as thin and you desire.
    
    
    
11. Next, you need to create the ravioli. I used a tin and a rolling pin, like the one above. But a flat surface is also fine. Put the sheets of rolled out pasta into the floured tin/onto a clean floured surface. Using a teaspoon, spoon filling into individual raviolis, taking care not to overflow.
12. Place new sheet over filled cases and roll together. Repeat until all pasta/filling is gone. If there is any left-over filling, you can also fridge/freeze it and use it in other recipes - that's if you can stop yourself from eating it straight out of the bowl!
13. You can boil the ravioli in salted boiling water right away - it will only take a few minutes. 
14. To get the sauce/coating ready, heat knob of butter in pan on low-ish heat, season with salt, pepper and sage and stir. When the ravioli is ready (it will rise to the top of the water) add to butter pan and coat.
15. Serve in pre-heated bowls or on plates. Place freshly roasted tomatoes on top and sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy your little pieces of Italian cuisine mastery!