Butternut Squash Ravioli with Hazelnut Pesto

In order to make homemade ravioli, I feel like I might need an Italian grandmother watching over my every move in the kitchen.  But with the help of some wonton wrappers, this was a simple and delicious homemade pasta.   The wonton wrapper method could be used with any filling you like…however, if any Italian grandmothers out there want to teach 51 Porter how to make homemade pasta…we would love it! 

For the Ravioli (Makes about 30 ravioli)

Ingredients:

*30 wonton wrappers

*1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced in about 1 inch cubes

*1/2 cup onion, chopped

*3 Tbs. Olive Oil

*3 cloves garlic, crushed

*Salt and pepper

*1/2 cup cheese, I used a creamy feta, but goat or grated parmesan would work well too.

*1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and ground in food processor.

*1/4 tsp. nutmeg

*1 egg

*2 Tbs. water

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a baking sheet, spread the butternut squash and onion and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic.  Roast for about 30 minutes, stirringly occasionally until all pieces are tender and slightly caramelized.
2.  Remove roasted butternut squash and onion from the oven and transfer to a food processor.  Puree and add cheese, nutmeg,  and the toasted, ground hazelnuts.  Add a dash more salt and pepper.

3.  Take one wonton wrapper and place about 1 tsp. of the filling towards one corner of the wrapper.  Brush the sides with egg wash (beaten egg mixed with 2 Tbs. water).  Seal the wonton by folding one side over the filling to make a triangle.  As you fold, make sure all the air is pressed out of the ravioli center.  Place on a baking sheet.  At this point, you can place all the ravioli in the refrigerator if you plan on cooking soon or you can freeze them for the future!

4.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the ravioli in batches (about 10 at a time) and cook until ravioli float to the tops.  About 3 minutes.  Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet.  Keep warm while you cook the rest of the ravioli in an oven heat to about 250 degrees.

5.  When finished, reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water for the sauce recipe which follows.

For the Hazelnut Pesto

*Note:  I used the same food processor used for pureeing the squash mixture without rinsing out the leftover squash puree.  This added a nice creaminess to the pesto.  Also, I cooked this pesto in a small skillet for a few minutes when I added the pasta water.  This allowed the garlic to cook a bit and become sweeter and less pungent.  I chose spinach (over basil)  because it does not have an overwhelming flavor, allowing the butternut squash ravioli to be the true star!

Ingredients:

*1 cup packed spinach

*2 cloves garlic

*Salt and pepper

*1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted

*1/4 cup olive oil

*2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

*1/3 cup reserved pasta cooking water from ravioli

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a food processor except for the reserved pasta water.

2.  Add the pesto to a small skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add the reserved pasta water and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To serve: Place about 6-7 ravioli on each plate and spoon hazelnut pesto over each plate.  Garnish with a bit of grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy.  This is one of my new favorite pastas dishes and methods!