You. Guys.
I know I haven't made a post on the site in a while, but this was too good to keep hidden. I would put this in the top 3 for the best things I've ever made. The only reason why I can't confidently put it at #1 is because it definitely was not an easy dish to make. Anything that involves kneading and rolling and covering yourself in flour is tough, but it's almost always worth it.
This was my first Friday night to myself for a while and dang it felt good. I love being busy and I love being surrounded by people I enjoy, but sometimes a gal just needs some alone time. After a run/walk with a good friend at sunset, I began the trek back to my apartment to spend the evening cooking, singing, eating, and watching Gilmore Girls. Talk about a perfect Friday. Anyways, enough with my blabber. Let's get down to the nitty gritty. It's ravioli time.
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
Pasta dough:
*This pasta dough is straight from the NYT cooking ravioli dough. Find the recipe with better instructions here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9355-pasta-dough-for-ravioli
2 cups flour
1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 eggs + 2 egg yolks
Additional flour for sprinkling and rolling
Ravioli filling:
4 oz. goat cheese, softened
1/4 cup shredded asiago
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
~1/4 cup sautéed spinach
Butternut Squash Sauce:
1 medium butternut squash
3 tbsp. olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1 medium finely diced sweet onion
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried sage (+more to taste)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (+more to taste)
1.5 cups chicken broth (+more broth or water as needed)
Salt to taste
Suggested Equipment:
Large bowl
Plastic wrap
Sheet pan
Small prep bowl
Immersion blender (I got mine off Amazon! https://amzn.to/2LTbgvz)
Regular blender (if you don't have an immersion blender)
Food chopper (I used the Pampered Chef Food Chopper--it saves lives. https://bit.ly/2QrRDvg)
Instructions:
Start by preparing your dough. Combine 2 cups flour and 1 tbsp. salt in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix eggs, yolks, and olive oil. When combined and ~silky smooth~, pour into the well in your bowl of flour.
Combine eggs and flour with a fork until it becomes too annoying to do with a fork. When it gets too annoying, use your hands.
Knead dough until it is firm, smooth, and no longer sticky. Dust with flour and wrap in plastic wrap. Set aside for 30 minutes.
30 minutes rest time? PERFECT amount of time for your squash to roast. Preheat your oven to 400. Take your squash. Peel it, cut it into teeny pieces, and put it on a sheet pan. Peel 6 cloves of garlic and throw them on the pan too. Douse them in your olive oil and mix around with your hands. Season with salt and pepper and stick 'em in the oven for ~30 minutes.
While your squash is roasting, you can prep the filling for the ravioli and the base for your sauce. We'll start with the filling.
Take a bunch of spinach and add to a pan with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper (only a little though) and cook until wilted. Put it in a small bowl and cut it into manageable pieces.
Combine goat cheese, asiago, and parmesan in the bowl with your spinach. Mix with a spoon or fork until it is fully combined. Set aside or put in the fridge for a little.
In a stock pot, heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil and add your finely diced onions. When they become translucent, add red pepper flakes, sage, and nutmeg. When your onions become caramelized (light brown in color, kinda sticky) take them off the heat. Try an onion to see if you want to add more sage and nutmeg. If you do, add more. If you don't, just leave it off the heat.
Your pasta had rested for LONG ENOUGH. Split the dough into thirds. Take out the first third and leave the other 2 thirds wrapped in plastic.
Dust your counter with flour and rolling pin with flour. Roll out your dough, rotating it every 5-10 rolls or so. You want a sheet that is about 24" by 12". Flip over your dough every 20 rolls. Once your sheet gets to the thickness of a piece of cardstock paper, set it aside. Repeat with the other 2 thirds of dough.
Take a sheet of pasta and cut off the uneven edges so you have a nice lil square of dough. Put the uneven edges aside and roll them into a ball to freeze and use later, or cut them into strips and make normal pasta. Whatever you fancy.
Cut squares into smaller squares. Place a small spoonful of filling into the center of the dough and cover with its square counterpart of dough. Press edges of the ravioli with a fork so they stick together and set aside.
Boil a large pot of water. We will make the sauce in the meantime.
Take out your squash and garlic if you haven't already and put it into the stock pot with your onions and spices. Pour in chicken stock and turn your stove onto medium-low heat.
When the sauce starts to simmer, use your immersion blender (or normal blender) and blend sauce until smooth. You may have to add more water/stock (I did) to get it to blend and to get the sauce to your desired consistency. Taste and let it simmer. Add salt as necessary (I had to add a little).
Once your water is boiling, add your ravioli one at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. I would suggest 4-6 at a time, depending on the size of your ravioli. Boil for ~7 minutes, or 5 minutes after they start floating.
Take ravioli out with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. DRENCH it with sauce and add some fresh shredded parmesan on top. Prepare to be amazed.
Freeze leftover ravioli for next time! I could only eat 6 myself (and if you know me, you know I'm an eater) so I got to save about 10 for later consumption! I'll just have to cook them for a little longer because ~frozen~. Anyways! I hope you make this! I hope you love it! If you do, remember to take a picture and tag @thebarefootalli on Instagram!
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