Butternut Squash Ravioli With Sage Brown Butter Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 slices pancetta
5 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons shallots (minced)
1 cup butternut squash (mashed, approx 1 1/2 lb butternut squash)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
5 tablespoons parmesan cheese (grated)
1 pinch nutmeg
1 lb pasta dough or 32 wonton wrappers
12 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves (finely chopped)
amaretti cookie

Preparation

Directions:.
In a saute pan, over medium heat cook 5 slices of pancetta until crispy. Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Add the shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add the mashed butternut squash and cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup chicken broth and continue to cook about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons cheese and nutmeg, to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely (before putting the filling into the ravioli).
Make pasta, roll and cut into 3-inch rectangles. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the center of each pasta/wonton rectangle. Fold in half and seal completely.
Start boiling a pot of salted water.
In a saute pan, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter. Add the sage to the butter and continue to cook until the butter starts to brown. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth and cook another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add the pasta to the pot of boiling salted water. Cook until al dente. This will take about 5 minutes or until the pasta floats. Tip: Even if they are floating, taste test the pasta portion of the ravioli before you drain the pot.
Crumble the pancetta.
Remove the pasta from the water and drain well.
Single Servings: Place some of the pasta in the center of each serving plate. Spoon the butter sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle each plate with remaining cheese and parsley.
Family Style: Put half of the raviolis in a big serving platter, pour half of the butter sauce (6 pieces of sage) and half of the pancetta over the ravioli; than repeat with remaining half of ingredients. Sprinkle remaining cheese and garnish with parsley.
Give each person an amaretti cookie to crumble on their pasta (and an extra to snack on).
Note:
I'm still working on 'perfecting' this recipe.
You can roast the squash or microwave it. If you microwave it use the 'fresh vegetable' setting. It takes me about 10 min, but every microwave is different. You can peel the squash or cook it in it's skin, it's doesn't make a difference. You may want to put it in for a couple minutes before you slice it in half.
To speed up cooling the mixture spread it out on a plate and put it in the refrigerator.
If using a Kitchen Aid pasta roller, roll out to Level 4. The 5th setting is a little thin.
While you're stuffing/folding the ravioli start the water boiling and the butter sauce. Every so often swirl around the butter to prevent it from burning.
Add some oil to the boiling water to prevent the ravioli from sticking.
The wontons will boil quicker than the pasta.
If you cook the ravioli a day or two later: Make sure you dust them with flour right after you finish your folding. The next day, don't let the ravioli sit on the counter while boiling the water, they'll get mushy; keep them in the fridge until the last moment.
If you have left over pasta from cutting your ravioli and extra squash filling....boil the pasta, drain it and mix in the squash. It makes a great snack/lunch.