One of my favourite things I get excited for in the fall is the cool air which automatically makes me think of comfort food. When my weekends are slow and I have the time, I love getting out the pasta maker and making fresh pasta. Over the weekend, I had a butternut squash and thought maybe I could do a butternut squash ravioli instead of normal pasta. And that’s when it happened the most flavourful, delicious pasta I have made to date! Labour of love truly, but totally worth it! The butternut squash and garlic is roasted in the oven to give you that roasted flavour and the sauce is just the right amount of richness. The walnuts provide a nice texture while the crispy sage provides a great addition to the final dish.

If you are looking to do something different this holiday season or just looking to pass the time on the weekend, I suggest you make a batch of this. You will have no regrets, I promise!

4 servings / 20 mins prep time/ 3 hours total time

Makes 4 dozen ravioli

Ingredients

Butternut Squash Filling

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp sage, ground

½ tsp dried thyme leaves

½ tsp onion powder

Salt

Small head of garlic

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Pasta Dough

2½ cups flour

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

Sauce

½ cup salted butter

½ tsp of dried thyme leaves

10 sage leaves

½ cup of walnuts

Pinch of truffle sea salt, optional

Directions

Start by making the pasta dough. In a food processor, add the flour, salt, eggs and olive oil and pulse for about 15 seconds, until it starts to form. On a floured surface, dump the pasta mixture and combine until dough comes together. If it’s too dry add a tablespoon of water to help it come together.

Wrap in plastic wrap and put aside until ready to use. If you are not using the dough until later in the day let it rest in the fridge, if using within an hour let it rest on the counter.

To make the filling, pre-heat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl combine the cubed butternut squash, olive oil, chili powder, paprika, dried sage, thyme leaves and onion powder. Mix until combine and lay on a baking sheet. Get the head of garlic and cut the top, drizzle with olive oil and a bit of salt. Wrap in aluminum foil and place on the same baking sheet. Bake for 20-45 minutes, depending on the size of the butternut squash cubes.

In the food processor, add the roasted squash and squeeze the roasted garlic head, add the olive oil and parmesan cheese. Blitz until the mixture turns into a smooth puree.  

To assemble, roll the pasta dough in batches through a pasta machine, starting from the thickest setting (for me this is 0) to a setting where you can slightly see the hands through (for me this 6). Using a ravioli maker, lay down one sheet of pasta. Using the ravioli presser, press down to make pockets for the filling. Add about 2 teaspoons into each pocket.

Brush water around the filling and then add another sheet of pasta over the filling, pressing down to seal. Gently with a rolling pin run along the ravioli maker until the raviolis create indents. Flip over and separate the ravioli. Place the raviolis on a baking sheet with flour and semolina. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

If not cooking right away, you can place the baking sheet in the freezer to freeze the ravioli and than you can transfer to freezer bags to have fresh ravioli on hand.

If you are making right away, boil the ravioli and make the sauce. Fill a large pot with water, add a generous amount of salt and bring to a boil. In a large skillet, add the butter, thyme and sage into a pan and let it cook until it starts to be a golden colour. At this point the water should be at a boil, add the ravioli and cook for 2-3 minutes. You know when they are ready because the ravioli will start to float.

While the ravioli is cooking, add the walnuts and continue to cook until the sauce has a deep brown colour. Add a pinch of truffle salt to really elevate the sauce. Add your cooked ravioli to the sauce and cook all together for about a minute. Serve right away and enjoy!