Pumpkin Ravioli

Finally, a post that's not about chicken! For this venture, I decided to make homemade ravioli. I guess they're not completely technically homemade, since I cheated and used wonton skins for the wrappers. But hey, they're more homemade than opening a plastic package and dumping.

Since Cookie Monster was gone, I made it pumpkin ravioli, which sounds weird, because when people think of pumpkin, they automatically think pie. But pumpkin is just another type of squash, and it goes just as well with savory things as it does with sweet. Cookie Monster hates squash in all its incarnations (that crazy boy! Oh well. More for me), so I took this opportunity to make something just for moi.

*Sorry for the crappy photography. I'm still pretty inept with the camera. :(

Here we have our little ravioli-making station. I'm so type-A. That filling is canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling--just pumpkin), ricotta cheese, a little nutmeg and good ol' S&P. I think I threw some of that grated parmesan into the filling too. I have no idea why that thermometer was in the shot. Wait, yes I do! I was making the roast chicken the same night. Wow, I was being really industrious that day!

To fill the wonton wrappers, get a little bit of filling. Don't put too much in there, or it will seep out and make your ravioli explode in the boiling water, and then you'll cry. So don't overfill. After depositing the small amount of filling, brush the corners with water or a little egg wash (I was lazy and went with the water this time) and moosh the edges together 'til they're stuck. And here we have a little ravioli! Isn't he cute?

Ok, so tecnically the shape isn't ravioli. I wanted them to be a little smaller, so after I folded over the corners, I applied a little more water and stuck each corner together. So I guess they're tortellini? Tortelloni? Cinderelli? Whatever, they're filled pasta.


The most time-consuming part is just filling the suckers. Once you throw them in the (salted) boiling water, they cook up in about 2-3 minutes. And make sure you watch 'em! They'll float to the top, which means, "Hey! I'm done! This water is hot! Get me outta here!" And if you don't listen, they'll get so hot they explode, filling your water, not your tummy, with delicious filling, and then you'll cry. So watch 'em good!

With filling this flavorful, you don't want anything too complicated when it comes to sauce. Some melted butter and parmesan works very nicely. See?




Aaagggghhh.

I steamed up some green beans over the boiling water (two birds with one stone! I like it!) and cut off a slice of amazing New Seasons olive ciabatta bread, spread with just a tich of butter.

Along with a nice glass of pinot grigio, this meal was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I would've paid probably $15 or so at a fancy-pants restaurant, plus another $6 for the wine, plus I wouldn't have been able to watch TV or eat in my pajamas while dining. It was a winner all-around!