Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

Homemade pumpkin ravioli with brown butter and sage sauce and toasted hazelnuts a delicious, vegetarian dinner and one of my favorite cozy fall recipes. The homemade pasta dough takes a bit of time, (about an hour from start to finish). But is a fun family activity, and a great way to get the kiddos involved in cooking! This rich and elegant dish is definitely worth the time and effort. (Originally published on October 20th, 2014)

Start with fresh pasta dough

For years I would make homemade ravioli with a shortcut method. If you’re in a hurry or don’t want to attempt homemade pasta dough right now, scroll down for shortcut method. On a recent trip to Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo near Urbino Italy, I took a pasta making class and learned how easy it truly is to make from scratch!

We did everything from hand including rolling out the dough.

At home, I like to use a Pasta Maker to roll the sheets of pasta to a uniform thickness. While it can be made by hand, a food processor mixes and kneads the dough in a fraction of the time. 

Ingredients for homemade pasta dough

The ingredients are simple! Use this 00 flour imported from Italy or find one at your local Italian grocer. Use a Scale for accuracy. All-purose flour can be used in a pinch.

• 2 extra large eggs
• 00 flour

How to make fresh pasta

Making it by hand, means you can control the ratio of flour to dough. The dough can also be make in a food processor using quick pulses. Don’t add all of flour if using the food processor method. Add more flour as needed to reach the right consistency. If the dough isn’t quite moist enough add a teaspoon or two of olive oil until the dough is smooth and elastic.

• On a clean work surface, make a well in the center of the flour. 

• Add eggs and using a fork, gently whisk in the flour until most of the flour is incorporated.

• Once most of the flour has been incorporated, begin working the dough by hand, kneading it with the heel of your hand until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. 

• The dough is ready when your finger leaves and indentation in the dough.

• Let pasta dough rest, covered, for about 30 minutes while you prepare the filling. 

Making the ravioli

• If using a pasta machine, divide the dough into quarters, covering the remaining pieces of dough with a slightly damp towel to prevent it from drying out. 

• Set the pasta machine on the lowest, (widest setting) and place one piece of dough in the machine. 

• Roll the sheet, gradually increasing until sheet of pasta is thin enough. My pasta machine’s thinnest setting is 7, I roll the dough to 6 which is just thin enough.

• Roll a second sheet of dough the same way as the first. 
• Place about 1 Tablespoon of filling on a sheet of pasta. Space the filling out about 1 1/2 inches.

• Moisten the pasta dough with cold water and a pastry brush.

• Place the second piece of dough over the filling and carefully press around each mound of filling, pressing out any air bubbles.

• Using a ravioli mold or cutter, cut the ravioli into squares.
• Set finished ravioli on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper covering lightly, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Ingredients for pumpkin filling

• pumpkin canned or cooked, drained if necessary.
• ricotta cheese
• parmesan or Romano cheese finely grated
• 1 egg
•  kosher salt
•  white pepper
•  nutmeg

How to make the pumpkin filling

​Since canned pumpkin can be a bit watery, I like to cook it down for a few minutes. This helps the filling from leaking out of the ravioli.

• In a dry skillet over medium heat, stir the pumpkin for a few minutes to eliminate some of the excess moisture. Allow to cool a few minutes before adding remaining ingredients.

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine first 8 ingredients, pumpkin through nutmeg, and pulse 4 or 5 times, scrapping down sides until blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to fill ravioli.

Canned or fresh pumpkin?

While you can certainly buy and prep a whole pumpkin, using canned pumpkin makes this pumpkin ravioli recipe easier and faster. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, here’s how to make pumpkin puree from scratch. 

Ingredients for sage brown butter sauce

•  unsalted butter
•  fresh lemon juice
• fresh sage leaves
• Additional grated parmesan cheese
• Optional: garnish with toasted hazelnuts

Cooking the ravioli

Just like any other pasta, you want to cook the ravioli in a large pot with heavily salted water (like sea water). The ravioli need plenty of room to cook. Cook them in batches and don’t crowd them.

Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat until it’s just a light boil. I find that if the water boils too vigorously the ravioli will separate.

Fresh ravioli cook quickly. They will turn opaque when done – usually about 2-3 minutes. Once the ravioli are cooked, gently lift them from the water with a slotted spoon or wire spider strainer and cover with foil until the rest are cooked.

​Making the brown butter and sage sauce

• In a large skillet, melt butter over over medium heat. Add sage leaves. Butter will become fragrant and begin to turn golden brown. Watch it carefully, as it can quickly burn. 

• When it begins to darken, remove pan from the heat and stir in lemon juice to stop butter from cooking.

• Gently toss the ravioli in the browned butter sauce. 
• Divide ravioli between 4 plates and spoon any remaining sauce over each dish. Garnish with additional fresh parmigiano reggiano or romano.

Shortcut method for making ravioli

Using wonton wrappers is a trick I discovered over 30 years ago. I know it’s cheating, and definitely not “authentic” to use wonton skins in lieu of hand-made pasta dough, but doing so makes this do-able for a weeknight meal, especially when you have some little hands to help out. 

Creating an assembly line is the best way to make the ravioli very quickly. Using 2 wonton wrappers, place one scant tablespoon of pumpkin mixture in the center of one, brush the edges with water and place the second wrapper on top, pressing all around to seal. 

Place ravioli on a baking sheet and cover with a slightly damp tea towel or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Prepare the pumpkin ravioli sauce before cooking the ravioli.

What do you serve with pumpkin ravioli?

This pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sauce is a very rich dish and a small portion is perfect as a starter on its own. Serve it with a simple Olive Oil Bread. 

Love browned butter and sage sauce? Try these recipes!

 Pumpkin Gnocchi with Butter Sage Sauce

 Sweet Potatoes with Browned Butter and Sage

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Browned Butter and Sage.

Pasta making tools

• A Pasta Machine is surprisingly inexpensive and makes rolling the dough a breeze, but you can also use a good quality Rolling Pin.
• Pasta Mold, Ravioli Stamp, or Pasta Roller to cut out the individual raviolis.
• If you make a lot of pasta, here’s a reasonably priced set of Pasta Tools.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Browned Butter and Sage

Cynthia

Homemade pumpkin ravioli with brown butter and sage sauce and toasted hazelnuts a delicious, vegetarian dinner. Makes about 24-30 2" ravioli.

5 from 50 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Entree

Cuisine Vegetarian

Servings 6 people

Calories 393 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Fresh Pasta Dough

• 7 ounces 00 flour
• 2 large eggs
• olive oil if needed

Pumpkin Ravioli Filling

• 8 ounces pumpkin canned or cooked, drained if necessary.
• 4 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan or Romano cheese finely grated (about 1 ounce)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• pinch nutmeg

Brown Butter Sauce

• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 10-12 fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts chopped and toasted (optional)
• Additional grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese

Instructions

 

Pasta Dough

• On a clean work surface, make a well in the center of the flour. 
• Add eggs and using a fork, gently whisk in the flour until most of the flour is incorporated. Once most of the flour has been incorporated, begin working the dough by hand, kneading it with the heel of your hand until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Let pasta dough rest, covered, for about 30 minutes while you prepare the filling. 

Rolling the dough

• If using a pasta machine, divide the dough into quarters, covering the remaining pieces of dough with a slightly damp towel to prevent it from drying out. 
• Set the pasta machine on the lowest, (widest setting) and place one piece of dough in the machine. Roll the sheet, gradually increasing until sheet of pasta is thin enough. My pasta machine’s thinnest setting is 7, I roll the dough to 6 which is just thin enough.

Filling the ravioli

• Place about 1 Tablespoon of filling on a sheet of pasta. Space the filling out about 1 1/2 inches. Using a ravioli mold or cutter, cut the ravioli into squares.
• Moisten the pasta dough with cold water and a pastry brush. Place the second piece of dough over the filling and carefully press around each mound of filling, pressing out any air bubbles.
• Set finished ravioli on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper covering lightly and refrigerating until ready to cook.

Finishing the pasta and brown butter sauce

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and carefully drop ravioli, 3 to 4 at a time in. Ravioli cook quickly since the "pasta" is fresh, and will turn opaque when done, about 2-3 minutes.
• In a large skillet, melt butter over over medium heat. Add sage leaves. Butter will become fragrant and begin to turn golden brown. Watch it carefully, as it can quickly burn. When it begins to darken, remove pan from the heat and stir in lemon juice to stop butter from cooking.
• Remove ravioli from water with a slotted spoon and add to skillet with browned butter. Divide ravioli between 6 plates and spoon brown butter sauce over ravioli. Garnish with chopped toasted hazelnuts.

Nutrition

Serving: 1personCalories: 393kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 11gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 320mgPotassium: 265mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3935IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 113mgIron: 3mg

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