Cheat’s Pumpkin Ravioli
The melding together of sweet squash and crunchy amaretti, tender sheets of pasta, a bite of chilli and the earthy notes of nutmeg and sage produces a sophisticated little number. This recipe may be easy but its decadent texture and taste mean that I am as likely to give it to friends coming over as I am to cook it for an indulgent, cosy night in.
Ingredients
1 medium acorn squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into 3-4cm cubes
90ml extra virgin olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 chile de árbol, finely chopped
80g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
a grating of nutmeg, to taste
12 lasagne sheets (about 375g)
120g butter
30 sage leaves
15-20g amaretti biscuits, crushed
Recipe
Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the squash and simmer for 10–15 minutes until just cooked through. Drain.
Warm half the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the garlic and chilli. Cook for a few minutes until the garlic has softened (but before it has started to darken in colour). Stir in the squash and cook for about 5–10 minutes over a low heat so that the squash begins to break up into a rough pulp. Season with half the grated Parmesan, the balsamic vinegar and a good grating of nutmeg, along with plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside for when you are ready to eat.
When you are ready to eat, bring a large pan of well-salted water to a rolling boil and add the lasagna sheets. Meanwhile melt the butter in a pan, season well with salt and pepper and when sizzling add the sage leaves. Cook until the butter starts to darken and the leaves start to turn crisp. Remove from the heat.
Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, cut the sheets in half to make smallish squares and drizzle with a little oil. Sprinkle a dusting of amaretti on 4 serving plates followed by a layer of pasta. Top with an eighth of the squash purée, a good drizzle of sage butter, a dusting of amaretti and another pasta square. Repeat finishing with the third pasta square. Top with the last of the butter, a good grinding of black pepper, the rest of the grated Parmesan, and a final flourish of olive oil.
IMAGE CREDIT: Tara Fisher