Ravioli Ravioli to Be Continued Meme

Emily Hlavac Green

Making pasta dough from scratch requires extra effort, but is 100% worth it. And honestly? It's not that difficult. It just takes a bit of planning and a hefty dose of patience, especially when you're rolling out the pasta. And just knowing that you made the pasta from scratch will make it taste 10 times better.

Our top tip? Plan ahead. You can make the dough and keep it, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days before you roll and shape it. And the ravioli, once made, can be wrapped and frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. There's no reason to be making the pasta dough from scratch, assembling the ravioli, and cooking it off for dinner all in the same day– unless you really want to!

Read on for more tips on this stuffed pasta. Looking for more butternut squash recipes? Try this Brown Butter Butternut Squash Pasta.

Do I have to make my own pasta?

Absolutely not! If you don't have a pasta roller or simply don't want to make homemade pasta you can use wonton wrappers/dumpling pastry instead. Sandwich the filling between two wrappers and seal together with a little water. Cook ravioli in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes.

Can I make my own butternut squash puree?

Yes! To make your own puree is pretty simple. Peel and scoop out seeds from a large butternut squash. Cut squash into 1.5cm cubes and toss in a little olive oil. Cook in a 200°C (180ºC fan) oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until squash is completely soft. Puree squash in food processor until completely smooth.

What do I serve with this ravioli?

Since you're going to the effort of making the pasta, we suggest keeping the sides simple. Try a nice light spinach salad or this awesome easy garlic bread.

Can I freeze the pasta?

Please do! If you are going through the effort of making pasta you should definitely make extra to freeze. After assembling the ravioli, place them flat in a freezer safe container and freeze! When ready to cook, pop them straight in boiling water from the freezer and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Frozen pasta will keep for about 3 months in the freezer.

Editor's Note: The introduction to this recipe was updated on 15 July, 2022 to include more information about the dish.

Makes: 4 - 6 servings

Prep Time: 0 hours 15 mins

Total Time: 2 hours 5 mins

For the pasta

290 g

plain flour, plus more for surface

1/2 tsp.

salt

large eggs

For the filling

285 g

butternut squash puree

100 g

freshly grated Parmesan

125 g

ricotta

1 tbsp.

packed brown sugar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

110 g

butter

cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp.

freshly chopped sage

2 tsp.

freshly chopped thyme

Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Pasta

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Pour flour mixture out onto a clean surface. Using your hands, make a well in centre of flour. Crack eggs into well and use a fork to slowly whisk flour into eggs until a shaggy dough forms. Use your hands to knead dough until smooth and no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Add flour to surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking. Wrap dough tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
When ready to roll pasta, cut dough into quarters. Wrap all but 1 back in cling film and place back in refrigerator.
On a lightly floured surface, roll uncovered dough into a long rectangle about half a centimetre thick. Set pasta maker to widest setting and pass the rolled out dough through 2 times. Fold short ends of dough to meet in centre of rectangle, then fold in half so that the dough is in quarters. Roll out again so the dough is half a centimetre thick, then pass through pasta maker 2 more times.
Reduce setting by one degree. Repeat process of folding and then rolling through machine 2 to 3 times before going to the next setting. Repeat this process all the way to the thinnest setting. If your pasta sheet becomes too long to work with, cut it in half. Repeat with remaining dough in refrigerator. Keep rolled out dough covered with a clean kitchen towel.

Filling

In a large bowl, combine butternut squash puree, Parmesan, ricotta, and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauce and Assembly

Lay one piece of dough out on a lightly floured surface. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling every 2.5cm. If your pasta sheet is wide enough make 2 rows of filling. Using your finger, lightly wet in between each pile of filling with water. Gently lay a second piece of dough over top and press between filling to seal, making sure there is as little air in pockets as possible. Using a pasta cutter or pizza wheel, cut between each pocket to make individual ravioli. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter and cook until foamy. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until butter starts to smell nutty, turns a deep golden, and the bubbling starts slowing down, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, sage, and thyme and cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then remove pan from heat.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, working in batches, add ravioli and cook until tender, about 1 1/2 minutes. Use a spider to remove from water and place directly in brown butter. Gently toss to coat.
Serve warm with Parmesan.