Pumpkin Ravioli with Garlic Butter Sauce

Ronda L. Halpin

I love making homemade pasta, but I rarely have the time to make it from scratch. That said, I can whip together some great ravioli in minutes, as long as I have a package of wonton wrappers on hand. When you use them as your pasta stand-in, ravioli is as easy as making a delicious filling and surrounding it with wonton wrappers. Because I've got a little one in my home, I put a generous teaspoon of filling into the center of each wonton wrapper, folded it over, and sealed it that way. If you want round ravioli that's larger, place a general tablespoon of filling in the center of the wonton wrapper and place another wonton wrapper over the top and seal it the same as you would for a folded ravioli.

Once your ravioli are made, you can either boil them, as indicated in the recipe below, or fry them like I did the batch pictured above. I've tried both and can't decide which I prefer. I suggest you try both as well and let me know what you like best!

The filling in this recipe was borne out of a plethora of pumpkin and butternut squash that was given to me by a friend that had a garden that produced way too much. Rather than turn down free squash, I looked for new and wonderful ways to use it. I had cakes, waffles and all manner of baked goods, but my favorite recipe that came of it was this fun ravioli filling with its buttery sauce. I like to round out the meal with a light salad and a glass of chilled white wine. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Ravioli with Garlic Butter Sauce

  • 1 package wonton wrappers
  • 1 c. part skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 c. pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 5 garlic cloves -- divided and minced
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • 6 T. butter
  • 1 T. Italian seasoning
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, pumpkin, Parmesan cheese, two of the minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Mix well then taste. Make any adjustments needed to the filling. On a cutting board line up as many of the wonton wrappers as possible. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the middle of each wrapper. Working on 2-3 ravioli at a time, brush the edges with water, fold over and press the edges tight to ensure a good seal. If you are freezing any of the ravioli, put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze overnight. In the morning you can remove the raviolis and place in a freezer bag to store in the freezer. These can be frozen for up to one month. Heat a large pot of water over high heat. Once it is boiling slip 6-8 raviolis into the water (making sure they don't touch). When the raviolis begin to float gently lift them from the water with a slotted spoon to drain. Continue on with this process until the desired amount of raviolis is cooked. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter begins to brown, add the remaining 3 minced cloves of garlic and the Italian seasoning. Heat for an additional two minutes, then pour the sauce over the cooked ravioli and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  • Yields: 4-6 servings
  • Preparation Time: 30 minutes

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