Squash Ravioli With Herbed Butter Sauce

Ingredients

For the filling

• 2 cups butternut squash, rind removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For Pasta

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs

For the sauce

• 8 tablespoons butter
• 12-16 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

Directions

1. 1

   Make the filling. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the squash on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast it until tender when peirced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Allow the squash to cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer it to a medium-size bowl. Blend the squash with the milk, cheese, and nutmeg until it has a smooth, mashed potato-like consistancy. Note: the squash can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.

2. 2

   Make the pasta. On a clean work surface. mound the flour and make a well in the center. In a small bowl use a fork to lightly beat together the salt and the eggs. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the well. Using a fork, gently incorporate the flour into the egg mixture, a small amount at a time. With your hands and a spatula or dough scraper, work the dough until it pulls together into a smooth, pliable ball.

3. 3

   Halve the dough, then form each peice into a 1/2inch thick disk. Cover the disks with plastc wrap and set them aside to rest at room tempature for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   lightly flour your work surface and half each dough disk. Roll out one of your dough portions as thinly as you can (to about the thickness of a dime), then use a 2 1/2 inch- diameter drinking glass, biscuit cutter, or cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough. arrange them in pairs. Each half disk should yield 7 pairs of dough rounds.

5. 5

   Further thin the dough rounds by pinching them between your thumb and forefinger. each round should increase in diameter by about 1/4 inch.

6. 6

   Use a pair of dough rounds to make each ravioli. With a pastry brush or your fingertips dipped in water, paint a half inch perimeter around one of the dough rounds. Spoon a 1/2 tablespoon of squash filling into the center, then press the other round ontop of it along the moistened edges. Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges.

7. 7

   Bring two large pots of water to boil (using two pots allows all the pasta to cook at once). Meanwhile , make the sauce. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the sage and continue to cook the sauce until it's light brown and has a nutty aroma, about 4 minuts. Remove the sauce from the heat.

8. 8

   Line a large plate with paper towels. Add half the ravioli to each pot of boiling water. The pasta will float to the top after 2 or 3 minutes, but continue cooking it until tender, about 15 more minutes ( take one out and test its tenderness before draining an entire batch). When the ravioli are done, use a slotted spoon or spatula to scoop them out and transfer them to paper towels to drain.

9. 9

   To serve, place the ravioli on individual plates and drizzle them with a spoonful of the Herbed Butter Sauce. Sprinkle on more parmesan, if you like.