Seared Butternut Squash Ravioli

Once again, the whole concept of "Meatless Monday" hit a stumbling block - I had a board meeting last night and wasn't able to do it (though dinner ended up meatless anyway - if a Margherita pizza from Costco counts). So, Tuesday it is!

Tonight's dinner was Seared Butternut Squash Ravioli with Cider Dipping Sauce. Basically, we were given a beautiful squash from one of the neighbors and I wanted to use it before it went bad. However, I couldn't just roast the squash because Dear Husband really does NOT like the stuff. So - a different variation was called for.

Again, the recipe came from one listed on the web, though I did change it up somewhat. First, I didn't pay as much attention to the directions as I should have and so the squash was roasted WITHOUT the brown sugar, syrup and butter. I would probably try to rectify that next time ;) Also, I used more apple cider than the recipe called for - after the reduction and the butter, I added about another 1/2 cup (basically what was left in the bottle, since we've had the cider for a little while). I wanted a fresh hit of the cider for the sauce, and then I just let the sauce warm back up before being served. I also added about 1/4 c. extra squash to make sure the flavor wasn't overwhelmed. The last (and biggest!) change was that, rather than making ravioli from scratch, I used won ton wrappers. They have a slightly different texture than the pasta would have, but it was much easier and they worked out very well. In fact, I would use them again next time!

So, having said all that - here's the website I used and the recipe itself:

Seared Butternut Squash Ravioli
with Cider Dipping Sauce

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

For Squash:
3 lb. butternut squash, halved lengthwise,
seeded (if you can't find one
3-lb squash, get two smaller squashes)
4 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
kosher salt and black pepper
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. butter, divided
1/2 cup water

For Filling:

3/4 c. mashed butternut squash
2 cups ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

For Sauce:
8 tbsp. butter, divided
1/3 cup chopped shallots (about 2)
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Method:

Make Squash and Filling:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place squash, cut side up, in baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with syrup; dot with 1 tbsp. butter. Pour 1/2 cup water into bottom of pan. Bake until squash is tender, about 1 hour. Cool completely. Scoop out squash into bowl. Mash. Transfer 3/4 cup squash to a bowl (reserve remaining squash for another use). Mix in ricotta, grated Pecorino, parsley and thyme. Season with kosher salt and pepper.

Make Ravioli:
Lay one won-ton wrapper on a flat surface. Using a teaspoon, get some of the filling and place in the middle. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water or cider, then place another wrapper on top. Make sure the edges are sealed.

Make Sauce:
Melt 2 tbsp. butter in large pan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add stock and cider; simmer 10 minutes. Add parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce sauce on low heat until reduced to 1 cup.

Working in batches, cook ravioli in pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, remove ravioli to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel.

Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a large, nonstick skillet. When sizzling and just beginning to brown, add ravioli. Cook 3 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Flip ravioli and cook another 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat process with 2 more tbsp. butter and remaining ravioli.

When sauce is reduced to one cup, remove from heat and stir in 4 tbsp. butter, 1 tbsp. at a time, whisking constantly until all butter is incorporated. Place ravioli on a serving platter and scatter with shaved Parmagiano. Place sauce in a bowl in the middle of ravioli. Place toothpicks in ravioli for easy serving.

Notes:
You can make the ravioli ahead of time. Place ravioli on a plastic wrap lined baking sheet in a single layer, not touching. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze the ravioli on the same baking sheet. When frozen, place ravioli in a zip-top plastic bag and use however many you like. You can also serve the ravioli tossed in some of the sauce instead of using the sauce as a dipping sauce.

The Verdict:

Dear Husband not only said he really liked it, but that the recipe "is a keeper". That honor is only given to the best of the best, the creme de la creme...well, you get the point. So, that was terrific to hear, if somewhat surprising. He also raved about the won ton skins and said he liked them better than if it had actually been pasta. However, the child I thought for sure would like it (Young Mister) was not impressed. Even when given extra sauce to use as dipping (rather than having the sauce on the ravioli), he tried to get out of eating the last one on his plate. Little Miss took one bite and seriously looked like she was resisting the urge to hurl (having been told that if she at least tried it, she could have some grapes later). Needless to say, she didn't eat any more.

Changes?:

While I really like this, next time I would use less butter in the recipe. Since I used a nonstick pan to sear the ravioli, I don't think the extra butter was necessary. I also would probably use less butter in the sauce. Otherwise - I really loved the recipe and plan on making it again in the future!

So - for all of you who have read this far...make sure you visit www.enviromom.com on Friday for more terrific meatless recipes. And of course, any day to read some terrific entries from the two moms that run it!