Monday, January 28, 2013

Butternut Squash Ravioli With Walnut Sage Butter Sauce

ButterNut Squash Ravioli in walnut, Sage Butter

Homemade Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with a Walnut Sage Butter and Mascarpone Sauce. These ravioli are vegetarian.

ButterNut Squash Ravioli in walnut, Sage Butter

I love eating gourd in the winter. Did you know that squash is a gourd and a fruit! It's a fruit because it contains seeds. Butternut squash is also rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. Cool, right?

Sage, commonly drunk as a tea, is good for the nerves, digestive system and for balancing estrogen levels in women.

Walnuts! Approximately 90 percent of the phenols in walnuts are found in the skin, including key phenolic acids, tannins, and flavonoids. Keep the skin on.

Thyme essential oil, which is obtained from its leaves, is often used as a natural cough remedy.

ButterNut Squash Ravioli in walnut, Sage Butter

A little piece of thyme was left on my chopping board when I was rolling out the pasta dough and it's now part of a ravioli. I think it adds some charm to the pasta!

Ingredients for ravioli filling:

- 1 whole large butternut squash
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
- 1/4 cup mascarpone
- pinch of salt

Ingredients for the pasta: See recipe for Ravioli Pasta

1 1/2 cups Farina di Semolina flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 large free range eggs
1 pinch of Salt

Ingredients for the Sage Walnut Sauce:

- 5 fresh sage leaves
- handful walnuts
- tablespoon of raw, organic, or grass-fed butter
- spoonful of mascarpone

ButterNut Squash Ravioli in walnut, Sage Butter

I left the skin on the butternut squash to add more fiber. You can peel the it off first, then cut squash into slices. Remove the seeds after you slice the squash.

Place the squash slices on a cookie sheet and roast for one hour. I put a little olive oil on squash to prevent it from sicking to the foil.

ButterNut Squash Ravioli in walnut, Sage Butter

These are ready for mashing. Add a little salt and mash away. The skin is a little tough. If you left the skin on the squash,  you might need to cut it up before mashing.  At this point you can eat them right out of the oven - butternut squash baked fries!

Untitled

Add 1/4 cup mascarpone, minced thyme and mashed butternut squash in a bowl

Untitled

Add a dollop of mix on your fresh ravioli pasta. With water wet the edge of this circle, then place another circle on top and squeeze edges together.

Untitled

To finish off the ravioli, use a fork to press the edges together.  Finished Ravioli! Let them rest for about 30 minutes before boiling.

Untitled

Now it's time to make the sauce. Add minced sage, chopped walnuts and butter to a small fry pan and cook on low-medium heat for 1 minute. Do not let the butter burn.

Untitled

Add a dollop or about a spoonful of mascarpone and stir for another minute.

ButterNut Squash Ravioli in walnut, Sage Butter

After boiling the ravioli for 2.5 minutes (al dente) 3.5 well done, remove from water. Mix sauce and ravioli together and eat!

ButterNut Squash Ravioli in walnut, Sage Butter

Buon appetito! 

Friday, January 25, 2013

Chard & Crimini Mushroom Ravioli in Butter Walnut Sage Sauce Homemade Pasta

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

I've always wanted to make my own ravioli and my own filling, however always heard it was a labor intensive process and required lots of pasta making tools. I have to be honest, it was a lot of work. This is not a 'fast' food and it will take a few hours from start to finish. The most time consuming part of making ravioli is the assembly. Yikes! Make sure you have wine! The good news is ravioli making wasn't as difficult as I always imagined. Give it a try on a rainy afternoon. Call over some friends and open a bottle of wine!

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Tools?! I have a wood chopping board, a really nice rolling pin, fork and a glass. That's about all you really need to make ravioli. William-Sanoma has a lot of amazing tools for pasta making, but I'm a fan of my 'free' tools.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Ingredients for the ravioli:

2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
8 large leaves swiss chard, trimmed from stems
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated


Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Ingredients for the pasta:

1 1/2 cups Farina di Semolina flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 large free range eggs
1 tablespoon Salt


Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Ingredients for the Sage Walnut Sauce:

Handful Walnuts - chopped
Tablespoon or more minced sage
Butter

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Start with the dough.
In a big bowl mix the dry flour first. Make a volcano or a well in the flour for the eggs.

Ravioli Maker (Google Affiliate Ad)

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Add all six eggs and knead with your hands until you have proper dough. The mix will stick to your hands at first, but keep kneading.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Once completely kneaded, make a ball

Eppicotispai Ravioli Triangle Stamp (Google Affiliate Ad)

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Cut dough into fours and cover with a damp cloth or kitchen towel. Let it sit for one hour.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

While the dough is resting, start on your filling. Chop everything and measure out all the ingredients.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

In a 12 inch fry pan add olive oil, onions, garlic, and thyme. Cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes.

All-Clad Stainless Steel Skillet with Lid, 12" (Google Affiliate Ad) 

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Next add the mushrooms and continue to stir. If needed, add more olive oil and cook for about 4 to 5 more minutes.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Your kitchen is now smelling really good!

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Add the minced rainbow chard and continue to stir for another 5 minutes.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Turn the heat off and add the 1/2 cup mascarpone and 1/2 cup Parmesan. The fry pan should still be very warm and will melt the cheese without burning it. Let it sit for 10 minutes or more to cool.

All-Clad Stainless Steel Skillet with Lid, 12" (Google Affiliate Ad)


Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Time to roll it out! Use a bunch of flour on your chopping board so the dough will not stick. With the rolling pin, roll it out!

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

I used a glass to cut my ravioli and I believe it worked very well. After I cut the circles, I re-knead and rolled out the leftover dough to cut more circles.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Take a circle and fill it with the chard, mushroom, thyme stuffing. With water wet the edge of this circle.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Cover with a second circle and pinch edges together.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

With a fork, press the edges together. This extra step is not necessary, but it looks pretty.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Place finished ravioli on parchment paper and let rest for an hour or less.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Bring water, salt and olive oil to a hard boil and add ravioli. I had one or two stick to the bottom of the pot. To avoid this, stir for the first 20 seconds.

Cook for 2.5 minutes for al dente or 3.5 for well done pasta. I like al dente so I cook 2.5 minutes.

Staub Marin Miniature Round Cocotte (Google Affiliate Ad)


Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

On low to med heat saute butter, sage and chopped walnuts for 2 minutes. BAM!

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Eat!

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

I did use this for a batch of ravioli. It's a ravioli press.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Layer of pasta, filling and another layer of pasta dough.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

With a rolling pin, roll over the press until you see the metal design.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Here are the pressed ravioli. I like them, but it was very difficult to get the ravioli away from the press. I ended up breaking a few. Next time I'll just use the glass!

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

I love these mushrooms! Crimini are the best!

Sur La Table Marble Rolling Pin with Handles (Google Affiliate Ad)

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Fresh Thyme!

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

YUM

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Last! Freezing fresh, uncooked ravioli. YES! Please do. Do not let the ravioli touch. They keep for a very long time. If cooking a frozen ravioli, cook for 5 minutes.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

How To Make Ravioli Pasta Dough

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Tools?! I have a wood chopping board, a really nice rolling pin, fork and a glass. That's all you really need to make ravioli. William-Sanoma has a lot of amazing tools for pasta making, but I'm a fan of my 'free' tools.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

In a big bowl mix the dry flour first. Make a volcano or a well in the flour for the eggs.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Add all six eggs and knead with your hands until you have proper dough. The mix will stick to your hands at first, but keep kneading.  You can always add a little flour if it's too wet.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Once completely kneaded, make a ball with the dough and cover with a damp kitchen towel for about an hour or less.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

Cut dough into fours and roll it out!

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

I used a glass to cut my ravioli and I believe it worked very well.

Chard Mushroom and Thyme Ravioli - Homemade

After I cut the circles, I re-knead and roll out the leftover dough to cut more circles.

Untitled


A dollop of mix on your fresh ravioli pasta. With water wet the edge of this circle, then place another circle on top and squeeze edges together. To finish off the ravioli, use a fork to press the edges together.

Untitled

Finished Ravioli! Let them rest for about 30 minutes before boiling.