Butternut Squash Ravioli in a Lemon-Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Stop reading and start shopping for the ingredients for this right now. While I'm understandably a biased source (yet still a genuine fan) about the food I make, this one is topping the charts. From the delicious, savory yet sweet filling to the light ravioli skin (and faster prep) allowed by the wonton skins to the drizzled sauce, packed with flavor while using simple ingredients, this ravioli was near-perfect. Everyone who chowed down was quick to declare this a favorite and is already clamoring for more.

You'll see in the recipe that I made these ravioli with wonton skins rather than a full dough. It provides a different flavor and taste, but also makes it a bit faster and easier to make the ravioli, a nice bonus. This is still a time-consuming recipe, but far less than it would otherwise be. So pick up some wonton wrappers and get creative. They work extremely well as ravioli, so this is the time to experiment. Just don't forget to share your favorites in the comments below!

Difficulty: medium-hard
Cost: $20.58 (includes pecan trout that I made with fish)
Time: 1 hr 30 min



Butternut Squash Ravioli in a Lemon-Sage Brown Butter Sauce
Ingredients:
1 smaller butternut squash
1 tsp + 6 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsps black pepper
1/8 c parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c low-fat shredded mozzarella
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
40 wonton wrappers
1 large egg white
2 tbsp fresh sage, diced
2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

The first step is to prepare the filling. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp in the half circle at each of end the halves. Put the butternut squash, skin-side down, on a baking sheet. Put half a teaspoon of butter into the hole in each half, reserving the remaining 6 tbsp of butter for later. Sprinkle 1/8 tsp of black pepper into each half as well, reserving the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons of black pepper.

Bake the squash for about 50-55 minutes. Check to see if it's very soft, and if not, bake for a little bit longer. When it's done cooking, remove the squash from the oven and let it cool until you can touch it. Scoop out all of the now-mushy pulp and put it in a bowl. You can discard the skin.

Add 1 tsp of black pepper (saving last 1/4 tsp), the parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to the butternut squash mixture. Mix until evenly combined. You are now ready to fill your ravioli.

Lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of water and beat just enough to combine. To finish assembling your area, put out a large sheet of wax paper on your counter and lightly coat it with cooking spray. Finally, wet a paper towel so it's damp. As you remove a wonton wrapper from the package to work with, close the plastic of the package and place the wet paper towel over it to keep the wonton wrappers moist. (Note: the wet paper towel will stick if it comes into actual contact with a wrapper - it should only be over the plastic of the wonton wrapper package.)

Taking one wonton wrapper at a time, put about a tablespoon of the butternut squash mixture in the center. Dip a pastry brush in the egg white-water mixture and shake off the excess. Lightly "paint" two adjacent sides of the square wonton wrapper. Pick up the other two edges and fold the wonton wrapper in half, sticking the untouched sides to the wet ones to form a triangle. Press along the edges to firmly seal.

Place the ravioli on the wax paper and continue with the rest.

When all of your ravioli are made, bring water to a boil. Add the ravioli, working in shifts if you need to (I did), and boil for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon so that you can then add the next batch of ravioli right away. Place on a large plate and keep warm until all of the ravioli are finished cooking.

Finally, you'll need to make the sauce. Heat a small pan over high heat. Add the remaining 6 tbsp of butter. Swirl to coat, but as soon as the butter melts, add the sage. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, or until the butter just begins to lightly brown. Quickly stir in the remaining 1/4 tsp of black pepper and lemon juice. It'll smoke a little bit with the addition of the lemon juice. Cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute and then remove from the heat and immediately pour the butter over the ravioli. Serve immediately.