Best Butternut Squash Ravioli Agnolotti Di Zucca Recipes

FRITTELLE DI ZUCCA (SQUASH FRITTERS FROM THE VENETO)

Steps:

• Halve the squash or pumpkin, scoop out and discard the seeds and fibers, peel, and cut into 1/2-inch dice. You should have 3 to 3 1/2 cups. Place in a saucepan, add milk to cover, and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the squash breaks down into a smooth puree, about 30 minutes. Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled; it will smooth out. Stir in the 1 1/2 cups flour and continue to stir until the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed to bind. Beat in the dissolved baking soda, and then the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the salt, granulated sugar, orange zest, citron, raisins, and pine nuts. Remove from the heat. Let stand for about 15 minutes until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches in a deep frying pan or wok and heat to 375 degrees. In batches, drop the batter by small (1-inch diameter) teaspoonfuls into the hot oil. (These should not be too large or the center will not cook.) Fry until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Keep warm until all the fritters are cooked. Arrange the fritters on a platter and sift a heavy dusting of confectioners' sugar over the top. Eat while hot or very warm.;

GNUDI CON LA ZUCCA: NAKED RAVIOLI WITH SQUASH

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Add the butternut squash, salt, and pepper and saute until the butternut squash is fork tender. Transfer the squash mixture to a bowl. Using the back of a fork, mash until the squash is an even mixture. Let cool. Add the ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmigiano cheese, flour, and an egg. Mix thoroughly until the mixture becomes a soft dough.
• Using your hands, scoop enough of the mixture to roll into the size of a golf ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
• Place the gnudi balls in a pot of boiling salted water for about 1 minute, or until they float to the surface. Drain and plate.
• Drizzle the gnudi balls with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH SAGE, HAZELNUT AND BROWN BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place squash on a baking sheet and roast until soft 30 to 40 minutes. Scoop out flesh and run though a food mill. Place the puree into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until almost dry. Add the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay a sheet of pasta dough on a lightly floured work surface and distribute a heaping teaspoon-sized portion of the filling at least 2 inches apart. Use your fingertip or a brush to moisten the edges of the pasta sheet with the egg wash. Carefully place a second sheet of the pasta dough on top of the first and press with your fingertips to separate the rows of filling. Repeat with the remaining dough. With a ravioli cutter or pastry wheel, cut along straight lines on the vertical and horizontal to form each ravioli square. Press the edges closed with your fingertips to seal well. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully drop in the ravioli and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain, plate and spoon butter sauce over and garnish with finely chopped chives.
• Melt butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat and cook until the foam subsides and the butter begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the hazelnuts and sage and season with salt and pepper to taste.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI

Steps:

• For the squash filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roast the squash, about 1 hour 15 minutes, and then deseed and scoop out the flesh. Puree the flesh in a food processor.
• Preheat the broiler. Roast the poblano peppers until charred on the outside, and then peel, deseed and chop.
• Saute the collards with the onions and vinegar, sprinkle with salt and white pepper, and cook until tender. Drain, and then mix with the squash, poblano peppers, cream cheese and nutmeg.
• For the pasta: Combine the flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, egg yolks and whole eggs in a food processor or by hand until a dough forms. Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, and then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• For the fontina veloute sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft. Stir in the flour and make a light roux by slowly adding the stock, and then slowly adding the cream, stirring constantly. Lower the temperature and add the fontina and Parmesan a little at a time, stirring continuously. Sprinkle with salt and white pepper.
• For assembling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Roll out the pasta dough to desired thickness using a rolling pin or pasta machine. Stuff the dough with the squash filling using a large ravioli mold, wetting the seams before sealing. Poach the ravioli in the boiling water until they float, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Serve the ravioli topped with the fontina veloute sauce and garnish with chopped chives.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AGNOLOTTI WITH BACON AND AGED BALSAMIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the pasta dough: Put the flour in a pile on a clean, dry work surface. Make a hole about 8-inches wide in the center of the flour pile. Crack all the eggs into the hole and add the olive oil and salt. With a fork beat the eggs and slowly begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. Do not worry about the lumps.
• When most of the flour is incorporated, begin kneading the dough mixture with your hands. Knead the dough until it is smooth and supple, about 10 to15 minutes. It is really important to put your whole body into kneading otherwise the pasta will not develop the proper consistency. You need to knead! Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it relax for at least 1 hour. If using immediately do not refrigerate.
• While the dough is resting, make the filling: Put the butternut squash onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and add the cinnamon and a big pinch of salt. Mix it all together to coat the squash and arrange it in 1 layer on the baking sheet. Roast until the squash is soft and browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and put it into the bowl of a food processor. Add the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, and the eggs and process until smooth. Taste and add salt, if needed. Scrape the filling into a pastry bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Roll the pasta: Set the pasta roller on the widest setting. Start with half the pasta dough. Using your hands, flatten the dough as much as you can to facilitate it going through the pasta roller. Run the dough through the roller twice dusting it with flour in between rolls if it feels sticky. Fold it into thirds turn it 90 degrees and run it through the pasta machine 2 to 3 times. Continue to run the pasta through the machine reducing the setting between each run. Stop when you get to the second to last setting. Always hold the pasta on the tops of your hands, palms down! If you hold it with your fingers up you will create stretch marks and those are never good.
• To assemble the agnolotti: Lay the pasta sheet on a floured work surface. Brush the lower half of the pasta (the part that is closest to you) lightly with water. This is the "glue" that will hold the agnolotti together. Use the water sparingly, if you use too much it will slide and not stick. Pipe 1-inch balls of filling onto the pasta that has been brushed with water, leaving about 2-inches between each ball. Fold the top half of the pasta over the balls to meet the bottom edge. Using your 2 index fingers poke around each filling ball to seal the agnolotti shut and make sure there are no air bubbles. Cut out each agnolotti using a small round fluted cutter. Transfer to a sheet tray coated with semolina or polenta. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
• To make the sauce: Put a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil into a large saute pan over medium high heat. Cut the bacon into small pieces and add it along with the garlic to the pan. When the garlic is lightly browned and aromatic remove it from the pan and discard it. When the bacon is crispy add the squash, season with salt, to taste, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the butter, chicken stock, and sage, and cook until the sauce thickens and looks velvety. Stir in the apple and taste for seasoning.
• Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the agnolotti and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully remove the pasta from the water and immediately put it into the pan with the sauce. Bring it to a boil, shaking the pan frequently. Remove from the heat, sprinkle in the Parmesan, and swirl the pasta until it's coated with the sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately, sprinkled with a little more grated Parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Mangia bene!!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Place squash halves, cut sides up, on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with oil. Roast 30 minutes or until squash is very tender. Cool slightly.
• When squash is cool enough to handle, use spoon to remove pulp; place in medium bowl. Stir in ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the nutmeg.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon squash mixture onto center of each wonton skin. In small bowl, beat together egg and water. Brush edges of wonton skins with egg mixture. Fold skins tightly over filling, pressing gently to remove any air trapped inside, forming triangles, and sealing filling tightly inside skins. (If filled wonton skins have large air pockets, they can float to surface when boiled, causing them to cook unevenly.)
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter over medium heat about 3 minutes until melted. Add 12 to 15 sage leaves; cook 3 to 4 minutes, watching carefully and stirring frequently, until butter is golden and sage wilts and then crisps. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until butter is amber in color and garlic is tender. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside; keep warm.
• In 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven, heat 4 quarts water to boiling. Slip filled wonton skins into boiling water in batches so as not to crowd them. Boil 3 minutes or until tender (do not overcook). Use slotted spoon to lift ravioli from boiling water; place on serving plates.
• Drizzle butter mixture evenly over ravioli. Immediately sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese; garnish each with sage leaf.