Pumpkin Ravioli with Garlic Butter

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Delicious pumpkin, cheese, and pine nut filled ravioli is sauteed with herb garlic butter for a wonder fall meal. 

I’ve had a recipe for pumpkin ravioli sitting on my couch for the past week just begging to be made. I bought all the ingredients for it at the market this past week but I just haven’t gotten motivated to make it, because I knew it was going to be time consuming.

As soon as the fall weather hits in September I begin making all the foods with pumpkin.  I love making warm Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake to serve with coffee in the mornings.  For a fun treat I normally go with Silly Pumpkin Cupcakes.   Then I usually make Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins to put in my lunchbox. 

The thing that is great about pumpkin is that you can make it sweet or savory.  I make delicious Pumpkin Rolls with Sea Salt that pair well with fall soups and pasta recipes. Ravioli with Pumpkin Vodka Sauce is a filling and delicious meal.

After looking over the recipe I decided there were only a few minor tweaks I would be making.    The filling was incredibly easy to make and tasted pretty good. Instead of making homemade pasta for the dough I used wonton wrappers which worked great.

What are wonton wrappers?

The part that took forever was stuffing the ravioli, sealing it, and then crimping the edges so the filling didn’t fall out. It took me about an hour to make about 40 ravioli.

Th first time I made these I didn’t have a biscuit cutter so it took forever to cut around them by hand.  The second time I made them I had the biscuit cutter which made perfect circular ravioli.  The last time I made them I simply kept the square shape which worked fine.    The good news is that after I finished all of them I was able to freeze 20 of them for another day.

Ingredients:

• wonton wrappers (find these in the produce section)
• ricotta cheese (whole milk or skim)
• canned pumpkin puree (do not use pumpkin pie filling)
• grated Parmesan cheese
• garlic cloves
• pine nuts
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• butter (I prefer salted in this recipe)
• fresh parsley (or dried parsley if you don’t have fresh)
• oregano

To make the ravioli filling heat the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat.   Stir every few minutes until they are toasted.  Add in the garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of olive oil and saute for one minute.   Remove from heat and chop the pine nuts.

In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, pumpkin, parmesan cheese, pine nut mixture, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Mix well. 

Can I use other ingredients in the filling?

If you aren’t a fan of ricotta cheese you can combine half ricotta with half mozzarella cheese.  This will make the filling cheesier.  If you don’t want to use pine nuts you can substitute cashews instead for a similar texture and flavor.  You can also omit the pine nuts if you do not like nuts or are allergic.  Another thing you can add is minced, sauteed onions.

Place as many wonton wrappers as possible on a clean work surface. Place a small amount of filling in the middle of the wrapper and then use your finger to brush the edges with water.  Top with another wrapper.  Work from the middle, pressing on the filling to release any air which will ensure a tight seal. 

At this point you can cut the wrapper with a biscuit cutter or simply use a fork and crimp the outer edge of the ravioli.

Heat a large pot of water over high heat and add 6-8 ravioli to the water.  When they begin to float lift then out with a slotted spoon to drain.  Repeat process until ravioli are all cooked. 

To make the sauce, heat the butter in a small saute pan over medium heat.  When butter begins to brown add the garlic and herbs.  Cook for an additional minute then pour over top of cooked ravioli.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

On my first attempt making these ravioli I put 6 in the water and two of them stuck together and ended up tearing.  My second try I only put 4 ravioli in and they had plenty of room and came out perfectly.  Make sure you don’t crowd your pot.

Can I freeze Pumpkin ravioli?

After making the ravioli but before boiling them you are able to freeze them.  Place the ravioli on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 30 minutes.  Remove the ravioli and place in a freezer bag.  Store in the  In the morning you can remove the raviolis and place in a freezer bag to store in the freezer. These can be frozen for up to three months.

After my husband’s first bite he told me that this was definitely a meal worth waiting for. I had to agree as the raviolis were delicious! They had a great balance of creamy ricotta cheese and smooth pumpkin.

The garlic butter added a little more depth to this savory dish. The flavors in this dish all come together so that neither the cheese, the pumpkin, nor the garlic is too overwhelming. It makes for a lovely fall pasta dish that can be made in advance, frozen, and later showcased at a dinner party.