Pumpkin ravioli with brown butter and sage is a delicious vegetarian dinner that uses the season’s favorite squash, pumpkin! Add toasted walnuts for extra flavor.
No, I’m not completely tired of pumpkin recipes just yet. So last weekend I made Pumpkin Ravioli with Browned Butter, Sage and Walnuts as I do every fall. We eat a lot of pumpkin during the fall, but most of it is in the sweet form, pancakes, pumpkin bread, doughnuts and my favorite, pumpkin cheesecake. So this savory pumpkin ravioli is a nice change. (This post was originally published on October 29th, 2014 and has been updated to contain nutritional information. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases.)
What kind of pumpkin do you use for pumpkin ravioli?
While you can certainly buy and prep a whole pumpkin, using canned pumpkin makes this Pumpkin Ravioli easier and faster. Some pumpkin tends to be watery and less dense than others, so if the one you purchase seems to be particularly loose, drain it in a strainer to remove excess liquid. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious and want to make the pumpkin puree from scratch, here’s a link for how to prepare pumpkin.
Wonton wrappers make this ravioli a fast and easy dish!
I know it’s cheating, and definitely not “authentic” to use won ton 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. I first discovered this trick over 30 years ago and have used it ever since.
IF you’re feeling ambitious and would like to make your own pasta dough from scratch, here’s a recipe. Here’s another recipe for ravioli using wonton wrappers. You can use round or square wonton wrappers for ravioli.
Making ravioli with kids
I have always loved anytime I can cook with my kids. Having kids help in the kitchen is a great way to get them to try new dishes, teach a skill and make my job easier! This recipe for pumpkin ravioli is one of those recipes easy enough for kids to help with. My now 20 year old started making won tons, rolling sushi and making ravioli when she was very young.
I find that making an assembly line is the best way to make the ravioli very quickly.
Brown butter sauce for pumpkin ravioli
This pumpkin ravioli is pretty rich, a little goes a long way, so this very simple brown butter sauce with sage is just the right counterpoint to the rich filling. It’s not too heavy. Best yet, it’s also just as quick and easy as the ravioli themselves. Just heat the butter and sage leaves until butter becomes light brown and nutty. Then stop the butter from cooking with a squeeze of lemon juice. I sometimes add toasted walnuts for flavor too.
How far ahead can you make pumpkin ravioli?
Like any fresh pasta dish, this is best eaten fairly soon after preparing it. The pumpkin can ‘weep’ and make the ravioli too wet. There are two ways you can make the ravioli ahead of time. First you can make the filling and refrigerate until ready to assemble the ravioli, or cover with a lightly dampened tea towel and refrigerate for up to an hour or so.
How do you cook 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. Don’t crowd the ravioli! Too many in the pot, and they will stick together. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat until it’s just a light boil. I find that if the water boils too vigorously the ravioli will separate.
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. They cook quickly
What do you serve with pumpkin ravioli?
This is a very rich dish, if you start with a simple platter of antipasto, serve it with a simple mixed green salad with a vinaigrette like this one.
Looking for more delicious recipes with browned butter and sage?
How about Pumpkin Gnocchi with Butter Sage Sauce? Or Sweet Potatoes with Browned Butter and Sage or Butternut Squash Lasagna with Browned Butter and Sage. (You can tell I love browned butter and sage sauce!)
Pumpkin Ravioli With Browned Butter, Sage andWalnuts
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pumpkin canned or cooked, drained if necessary.
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan or Romano cheese finely grated
- 1 egg
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 package won ton wrappers (round or square)
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 10-12 fresh sage leaves
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped and toasted (optional)
- Additional grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 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.
- Using 2 won ton wrappers, place one scant tablespoon of pumpkin mixture in the center of one, brush the edges with water and place second wrapper on top, pressing all around to seal. Place ravioli on a cookie sheet. Cover with a slightly damp tea towel to prevent drying out.
- 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.
- 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 3 minutes.
- Remove ravioli from water with a slotted spoon and place on a serving platter, cover with foil until all ravioli are cooked. Top with warm browned butter and walnuts if desired. Serve with additional grated parmesan cheese.
Del\s cooking twist says
Your recipe looks incredibly good, Cynthia! Need to try it asap 🙂
Cynthia says
Thanks Del! So easy too!
mimi says
Beautiful. These are my favorite kind of ravioli! Love the addition of walnuts.
Cynthia says
Thank you Mimi!
The Food Hunter says
delicious
Cynthia says
My family loved this!
The Food Hunter says
I was just saying I need to make pumpkin ravioli…thanks for sharing.
Christina @ Christina's Cucina says
A nice shortcut to making homemade pasta, and a wonderful homemade meal. I love the combination of flavors, too! One of my favorite ravioli!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It’s almost 9:30pm here but I can’t even tell you how badly I want these now! I love that flavor combination of pumpkin, sage and browned butter, these sound SO delicious!
Cynthia says
So much fun for the kids to make with you too Kimberly!
Steph @ Steph in Thyme says
Brown butter and sage with pumpkin is the dreamiest of combinations. This looks heavenly!
Cynthia says
totally Steph!Thanks!
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says
Yuuuuuuum!!! I could eat a whole plate of these.
Cynthia says
Thank you Brandon!
Vicky says
These look delicious. How long do they simmer? Thanks.
Marye says
This looks absolutely delicious, I must try it!
Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
My girls love to help me out in the kitchen!! This looks like a fun and yummy recipe! I love a brown butter sage sauce!!
Heather Kinnaird says
pumpkin with brown butter and sage is my all time favorite pumpkin flavor combo. will definitely be giving these ravioli a try