This dish is usually made with a pumpkin, but other winter squash will work as well. Winter Carnival, Butternut, Orange Hokkaido will all work for this. Some squash, such as the Japanese “Kabocha” types tend to be a little drier than pumpkins and most other squash, so you may need to add some butter or olive oil to the squashed squash.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound of cooked pumpkin or other winter squash* 2 eggs 6 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or similar cheese Freshly grated nutmeg to taste Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 6-8 Amaretti cookies (these are the little Amaretto/almond flavored cookies, also known as “macaroons”) 1 package of wonton wrappers, OR 3 eggs worth of fresh homemade pasta, roughly 1 pound, rolled thinly. Butter (approximately 4 tablespoons) and 8-10 fresh sage leaves
METHOD:
Peel the squash.
Place it in a large steel bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the eggs, cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper and blend well.
Finely crush the amaretti and mix into the squash well.
If using wonton wrappers, lay them out so they are diamonds rather than squares, and spoon a little of the squash (approximately 2 teaspoons) just north of the center line. Lift the bottom up and fold it over the mixture to form triangles. If needed, use a little beaten egg on the edge to seal it closed. Take the two bottom points and bring together, overlapping slightly. Pinch tightly to form a seal.
Set on a lightly floured sheet pan, and continue until done.
If using fresh pasta, cut two sheets to fit each other. Lay one sheet down on a floured surface, mark off squares and spoon squash mix into the center of each square. Lay the other sheet on top, crimp down with your hand and then cut the ravioli to size.
While making the pastas, a large pot of well salted water is brought to a boil (6 quarts at least) and a large skillet is heated over medium-high heat.
Add the butter to the pan, and when it melts, add the sage leaves. Toss to flavor the butter and brown it a little.
Add the pastas to the boiling water and cook until tender, around 2-5 minutes. When done, remove from the water with a slotted spoon and set aside in an oiled bowl. When they are all done, add the pasta to the saucepan with the sage butter and toss to coat. Add a couple tablespoons of pasta water to the pan if dry.
Serve immediately.
Chef’s Notes and Tips:
I have seen some recipes where the amaretti cookies are ground over the pasta at the end. Another version that looks tempting to me substitutes the amaretti for 3 tablespoons of pine nuts, and uses pesto to sauce the dish instead of the butter. Or, you can just skip the nuts or the amaretti entirely.
* While many recipes I have seen for this dish just steam or boil the squash, I prefer to roast the squash. To roast the squash, please see “Basic Roast Winter Squash”.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
