Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

– recipe and photo courtesy Dairy Farmers of Ontario; dairygoodness.ca

Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Adding fall vegetables and flavours to this Italian classic is a great way to enjoy the bounty of the harvest. The sweetness of the squash combines well with the savoury taste of the sage.

Squash Stuffing:
1 small acorn squash
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
¹⁄₃ cup Canadian Parmesan, finely grated
¼ tsp nutmeg, grated or ground
48 dumpling (wonton) wrappers, approximately

Sage Brown Butter Sauce:
3 tbsp butter
12 sage leaves, minced
3 tbsp chicken broth
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Shavings of Canadian Parmesan, to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F

Squash Stuffing:
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Lightly brush the insides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Put the unpeeled garlic cloves on a square of aluminum foil, pour the rest of the olive oil over top, and add salt and pepper. Fold the foil to make a packet and place it on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes.

Scoop out the flesh of the squash halves with a spoon and mash with a fork. Measure out 1½ cups of the purée and save the rest for another recipe. Add the garlic and mash it well before adding the Canadian Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for two hours.

To Make Ravioli:
Spread out four wonton wrappers on a cooking surface and place 1 tbsp of stuffing onto each one. Moisten the edges with a bit of water and then place a second wrapper over the first. Seal with your fingers and place on a large plate. Do the same with the rest of the ingredients.

Put half of the raviolis into a pot of boiling salted water and cook for approximately three minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and then cook the rest of the raviolis.

Sage Brown Butter Sauce:
In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the sage over medium heat. When the butter stops foaming and starts to turn slightly brown, pour in the broth.

Heat the raviolis in the sage butter and then divide onto plates. Garnish with shavings of Canadian Parmesan cheese.