Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

It's fall and a great time to cook with pumpkin. Actually anytime is a great time to cook with pumpkin. I always keep a few cans of pumpkin puree in my cupboard. Yesterday I made pumpkin ravioli with brown butter and sage. This is a great fall comfort food and elegant enough to serve guests. It is so light tasting with the fresh pasta that I could in fact eat the whole batch myself and have on occasion come close to doing so. But come on, anything with melted butter on it has to be great. Right?

Start with the pasta dough. You can always use wonton wrappers you buy at the grocery store, but homemade pasta dough is pretty simple. I use a mix of semolina and all purpose flour as I just like the texture it gives.

Pasta Dough

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
4 large eggs
2 tbsp. water
1 tsp. olive oil

In a large stand mixer mix all ingredients with dough hook until it comes together. Turn out onto floured board and knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

Pumpkin Filling

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and set aside or refrigerate until your pasta dough is made.



Roll pasta dough into long strips. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling 1 inch apart along first strip of rolled pasta dough.



Gently top with next strip.



Press out air around each ravioli sealing as you go. Then using a sharp knife, ravioli cutter or even pizza cutter, cut out the ravioli.
If using wonton wrappers. Work with a few at a time keeping the rest covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out. Place same amount of filling in the center of each brush edges with water and top with another wonton wrapper pressing out air to seal.



Place on parchment lined baking sheets dusted with semolina flour and cover with plastic wrap.



Repeat until all ravioli is made. You can refrigerate at this point until ready to cook.

To prepare, bring large pot of water to a boil. Add ravioli and once they float to the top cook another couple of minutes, drain and gently toss with brown butter and sage (recipe follows).

Brown Butter and Sage

1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
bunch of sage leaves (I used about 10)

Heat butter and oil until butter starts to turn brown. Add sage leaves and cook another couple of minutes. Toss with pasta.

Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate and Sunbutter

This post was originally done last fall when we found out that our grandbaby Emma had a severe peanut allery.

I finally got to London to pick up more SunButter since we ate up that first jar pretty quick. I was anxious to try it instead of peanut butter in my Banana Cream Pie. I melted it with some chocolate chips and drizzled it over the bananas before adding the custard and it turned out great! Bananas. chocolate and SunButter, need I say more! You can check out SunButter, the great alternative to peanut butter at SunButter.com

First I started with the easiest ever pie dough recipe that I got off of the Dini Petty show about 15 years ago. It comes out great every time! A combination of butter and lard (lard, not shortening) is what makes it so flaky and flavourful.

Pie Dough

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup cold lard (I use Tenderflake)
1 large egg
2 tsp. cold white vinegar
cold water

In a food processor combine flour and salt; cut lard and butter into small half inch cubes and with processor running drop alternately into flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. In a measuring cup beat egg until foamy; add vinegar and enough ice water to measure 2/3 cup. With processor running add egg mixture all at once. Processing until dough forms a ball. Press into 3 discs. Wrap and chill 15 minutes. Will keep in fridge for 3 days just remove from fridge and let sit for 15 minutes before rolling. I have also found that this dough freezes well, too.



For the Banana Cream Pie (adapted from my Betty Crocker cookbook)

1 pre-baked and cooled pie shell

4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups milk
2 tbsps. butter
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup SunButter
4 oz. chocolate chips (I used President's Choice)

Beat egg yolks with fork in medium bowl and set aside. In saucepan mix sugar cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk and cook over medium heat; stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir half of hot mixture into egg yolks to temper; then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Let cool slightly while you peel and slice 2 large ripe bananas into the bottom of the cooled pie shell.

 Then microwave chocolate chips and SunButter together on high about 30-60 seconds and stir until chips are melted and smooth. Drizzle over bananas.

 Pour filling over bananas and chocolate mixture; press plastic wrap over top of filling to prevent a skin from forming. Place in fridge at least 2 hours to set. Serve with a dollop of whip cream.

We like ours plain.  Yummy!!



Our peanut free little princess!!