Butter Nut Squash Ravioli with Apple, Sage and Brown Butter Sauce

Brown Butter Sauce with Merino Apples

2 Ea.        Butter Stick
¼ Cp.      Dates
3 ea.        Apples Merino
2 tsp.      Sage
1 Tb.       Lemon Juice
½ tsp.     Lemon Zest
T. T.         Salt Pepper
¼ Cp.      Parmesan Cheese Grated

With a wide heavy-bottomed pan and place it over medium-low heat.  Add the butter. As it melts, keep swirling the butter over the heat until it is light brown in color and smells nutty. Take it off the heat and add Dates, salt pepper, sage, apples, zest and lemon juice.

Toss with Cooked Raviolis

Pasta and Squash Ravioli

1 Cp.       Flour All-Purpose
1 Cp.       Semolina Flour
1 Tb.       Olive Oil
2 Ea.        Whole Large Eggs
1 tsp.      Salt

Place flours on a dry work surface, mix in salt.  Beat eggs, then add olive oil to beaten eggs. Create a well in flour and pour eggs in center.

Slowly incorporate eggs into flour with a fork. If dough appears dry, sprinkle with water. Once eggs are fully incorporated into flour, knead dough for 10 minutes, or until smooth, firm and elastic. Add a little more flour if dough appears sticky, or a little water if it is dry. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and reserve, refrigerated, 45 minutes.

Roll dough into a flat rectangle. Using as little flour as possible (enough so it doesn't stick), roll dough a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Finish rolling dough to 1/16-inch thick sheets with a pasta rolling machine or rolling pin (it should be so thin that you can see through it). Pasta sheets can be wrapped and refrigerated, but for no more than a couple of hours.

Place squash filling into a pastry bag.

Remove pasta sheets from refrigerator and cut into 2-inch by 4-inch strips. (Raviolis will end up being 2-inch by 2-inch squares. Envision 4-inch pasta strip as two 2-inch halves.)

Pipe approximately 1 teaspoon squash filling onto center of left side of dough strip. Brush dough with egg wash and fold remaining half over filling. Push pasta down around filling, pushing outward from filling to press out any air. Cut ravioli into desired size and shape. Place ravioli onto a lightly floured sheet tray and refrigerate or freeze for

Bring 8 quarts of salted water to a boil. Place raviolis in water, cooking 3 to 4 minutes if fresh, 7 to 8 minutes if frozen.

Ravioli Filling

2 ea.        Butternut Squash
2 Tb.       Butter
3 T.          Brown Sugar
T.T.          Salt and Pepper
½ Cp.      Parmesan Cheese

Method

Cut each squash in half lengthwise and seed. Season squash with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Spread butter across squash, then place each, cut-side down, on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until squash can be pierced easily with a knife. When done, remove squash from oven and let cool. Scoop out flesh with a spoon. Blend squash and Brown Sugar until smooth and adjust seasonings. Fold parmesan Cheese into squash purée and reserve, refrigerated for making ravioli.