5 Days of Pumpkin: Pumpkin Pine Nut Ravioli with Balsamic Reduction

Making fresh pasta is a labor of love, but completely worth all of the kneading and turning and patience! My pumpkin ravioli recipe is a freshly minted recipe for me; seeing all of the raw ingredients come together to make this unconventional take on ravioli was very exciting.  The contrast of the slightly sweet pumpkin ravioli with the balsamic reduction strikes a perfect balance. The pumpkin, pine nut filing only contains a ¼ cup of cheese making the ravioli light and airy, but it still touts a robust flavor.

Most pumpkin or squash raviolis are soaked in a sage butter or cream based sauce, which can overpower the pumpkin and make the calories in the dish skyrocket. While I could do without the extra calories from the butter and cream (a girl has to fit into her Halloween costume!), I could not do without the sage and made sure to incorporate it into the filling.

Ravioli Dough (adapted from Tyler Florence)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yolk, for egg wash

Pumpkin Filling and Balsamic Reduction

1 small pie pumpkin (about 2 lbs)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 tbsp shallots, finely chopped

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp ground white pepper

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ cup pecorino cheese, grated

4 sage leaves

1 tsp butter, melted

1 ½ cups good quality balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400˚.

Halve the pumpkin and remove all seeds. Coat the pumpkin with olive oil and place cut side down onto a large cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In the meantime, combine flour and salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Slowly add in olive oil and eggs one at a time. With mixer running at a medium speed, allow the dough to form into a ball. On a flour dusted work surface, knead the dough until its smooth (about 10 minutes). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin and onto cheesecloth. Gently squeeze out the liquid from the pumpkin – you’ll be shocked at home much it contains!

In a food processor combine pumpkin, egg, brown sugar, pine nuts, shallots, spices, cheese and sage. Pulse until a smooth puree forms. Set aside.

Split ravioli dough in half and refrigerate one portion of the dough. Form the dough into a narrow rectangle and feed it through a pasta roller a few times until it becomes very thing and nearly transparent. If you don’t have a pasta roller, you can use a rolling pin and lots of elbow grease to flatten the dough into a very thin sheet. I promise this works! All of the pasta you see in the pictures was hand rolled with a rolling pin J

Lay the pasta sheet onto a large cutting board and repeat this process with the remaining dough. Lightly brush the pasta sheet on the cutting board with a yolk wash and then carefully place teaspoonfuls of the pumpkin filling approximately two inches apart on the dough making rows and columns. Cover with the second sheet and gently press around the filling with your fingers. Using a very sharp knife cut the dough into squares around the filling almost as if you’re making a grid in the dough. Gently separate the ravioli and use a fork the seal the edges. If you have a fluted pastry wheel you can skip cutting the dough with a knife and use the pastry wheel to form the ravioli squares.

In a large pot of boiling water, place 10 to 12 ravioli in the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the raviolis begin to float.  Repeat until all ravioli is cooked then lightly brush the ravioli with the melted butter.

In a small saucepan bring the balsamic to a roaring simmer. Reduce to a gentle simmer and let balsamic thicken for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. When the balsamic coats the back of a metal spoon, it is ready. Make sure to pay close attention to the balsamic while it’s on the stove – it can burn easily and with those delicious ravioli waiting you don’t want to have to start a new reduction!

Plate the raviolis and drizzle the balsamic reduction on top. Using a balsamic reduction adds a bit of tang to the dish, but really boosts the creaminess from the pumpkin puree. Enjoy with grilled chicken or fresh turkey meatballs and always savor sinlessly J