SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH SHERRIED ONION SAUCE, WALNUTS & CRANBERRIES

SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH SHERRIED ONION SAUCE, WALNUTS & CRANBERRIES image

Categories Pasta Thanksgiving Vegetarian

Yield 40 ravioli

Number Of Ingredients 24

Ingredients

For the filling:
1 large or 2 small butternut squash or 1/2 cheese pumpkin (2-1/2 lb. total), to yield 2-1/2 cups cooked purée
5 to 6 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup maple syrup or 2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup ricotta
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
2 large onions (14 to 16 oz. total), thinly sliced
3 Tbs. unsalted butter; more if needed
1/3 cup dry sherry
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1-1/2 cups homemade or low-salt chicken or vegetable broth (or a total of 3 cups broth if not using cream)
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage
To assemble the ravioli:
Cornmeal for dusting
80 wonton wrappers
2 eggs mixed with a dash of water
For the garnish:
1/2 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
3 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved into shards

Steps:

Filling: Roast squash using the amounts for the squash, butter, maple syrup, & oj: put seeded (unpeeled) squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub w/ butter, season w/ S&P, drizzle w/ oj & maple syrup, & flip over. Roast in a 400° oven for 40-45 minutes, til skin is blistered & browned & flesh is tender. When cooled, peel. Put flesh & juices from roasting into a large sauté pan & cook over med heat, stirring frequently, about 10 min, to further dry out mixture. Mash with a potato masher. Put squash in a bowl & set aside to cool. When cooled, mix in ricotta & grated Parm & season w/ S&P. The mixture can be made a day ahead, covered, & refrigerated. Sauce: Sauté onions in 3 Tbs. of the butter over med heat, 20-25 minutes. Add sherry, raise heat to med hi, & cook until evaporated. Add cream & broth (or all broth) & sage; reduce by half or til sauce is good consistency. Makes 2 to 2-1/2 cups. Season w/ S&P. If using broth only, whisk in 1- 2 Tbs. butter at the end to give sauce a bit of body. (If making sauce ahead, add butter at reheating. If w/ cream, reheat the sauce gently.) Assemble ravioli: Dust surface w/ cornmeal, lay out wrappers (10-12 at a time) & brush half w/ egg wash. Place 1 scant Tbs. filling in the center of each piece of egg-washed pasta & flatten slightly. Quickly cover each with a second wrapper & press tightly around each mound & out towards edges of the pasta to create a tight seal. If you like, trim ravioli. Arrange filled ravioli in a single layer on a sheet pan dusted w/ cornmeal. Cover & refrigerate or freeze til ready to use. Cook & serve Boil salted water, add drop of olive oil, & drop in 4-6 ravioli at a time. When rise to the surface, boil for 4 min & then remove them to a strainer (or cooling rack set over a pan) to drain. Arrange 3-4 ravioli on a large plate for an appetizer (6 for a dinner), cover lightly w/ the sauce (about 1 Tbs. per ravioli), & sprinkle w/ walnuts, cranberries, & chives. Add a few shards of Parm & serve.