Butternut Squash Ravioli Agnolotti Di Zucca Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI IN CIDER BROTH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place squash, cut side up, in baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with syrup; dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Pour 1/2 cup water into bottom of pan. Bake until squash is tender, about 1 hour. Cool completely.
• Scoop out squash into bowl. Mash. Transfer 3/4 cup squash to medium bowl (reserve remaining squash for another use). Mix in ricotta, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons parsley and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place wrappers on work surface. Place 1 level tablespoon filling in center of each. Brush edges with water; fold each in half, pressing edges to seal. (Ravioli can be made 4 hours ahead. Arrange in single layer on foil-lined baking sheets dusted with flour. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large pan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add stock and cider; simmer 8 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
• Working in batches, cook ravioli in pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, divide ravioli among shallow soup bowls. Bring cider broth to simmer; ladle over ravioli. Top with shaved Parmesan.

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.

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!!

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.;

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI

Steps:

• For the pasta dough: Mix both flours together in a bowl. Make a fountain in the center and add the eggs, olive oil and some salt. Mix with your hands, adding just enough water for the dough to bind. You want to have a ball of dough that is fairly hard and a little dry, so add very little water. Cover with a towel and let set for an hour or so.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the butternut in half lengthwise and lay the squash on a baking sheet. Take 100g of the butter and divide it among each cavity of the squash. Sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until it starts to brown and the squash are soft to the tip of a knife, about 45 minutes.
• With a large spoon, scrape the squash off the skin into a bowl and set aside.
• Dice the onion about 1/8 inch; chop the garlic and thinly cut the sage.
• In a large saucepan on medium heat, heat up the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until golden brown. Then add the garlic and sage and sweat a little longer. Add the squash, season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat until it has the consistency of a puree. Move to a food processor and pulse briefly to remove the large chunks.
• In a bowl, add the ricotta, season with salt and pepper and add to the squash puree. Fill a piping bag with the filling.
• Roll the dough with your pasta machine. Using a ravioli mold, fill each ravioli with the butternut squash filling.
• Cook the ravioli in a large saucepot with plenty of boiling salted water. Then saute in the remaining butter. Enjoy.