Homemade butternut squash ravioli

I have always wanted to make my own homemade pasta, but never got around to it. Finally, at the grocery store the other night I decided to buy a squash and make homemade butternut squash ravioli. First Hubs had to put back my apparently massive squash and pick a smaller one for me (I guess I did pick the largest one in the pile, oops).

Once home, I decided that it was the night I would attempt making my own ravioli and butternut squash filling. Below is my directions for making the ravioli and filling:

Roasting the Butternut squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Put the cut side down on a greased baking sheet (or sheet covered with parchment paper).
2. Roast the squash in the oven until tender when pierced with a fork. For smaller squash it could take 30 – 40 minutes. For larger squash it could take up to an hour. (This is a good time to mix your dough so it has time to rest )
3. When squash is done scoop the pulp out into a large mixing bowl and discard the skin. Add all ingredients and stir together thoroughly.

Ravioli Dough:

• 6 eggs
• 3 cups flour

1. Blend the eggs and flour together in a food processor (with dough blade), kitchen aid mixer (with dough hook), or by hand with a fork.
2. If using a processor or mixer the dough will be one large ball chasing itself around the bowl when it is done.
3. If the ball of dough is even slightly sticky when you take it out then pat it with flour. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 20 – 30 minutes on the counter.
4. Either roll it out by hand or use a pasta machine to thin out the dough and make sheets of pasta (follow manufacturers instructions).

Butternut Squash Filling:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used asiago cheese instead and just judged on how much I added)
• 1/2 cup butternut squash puree
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• I also added a pinch of cinnamon

Blend all ingredients with a mixing spoon until smooth. Set aside.

Rolling your dough:

You can use one of numerous pasta rolling machines out there, but since it was my first time and I don't own a pasta machine I used a good old fashioned rolling pin. I basically rolled my dough out as thin as I could get it and as square as I could make it (which still ended up being a little too thick but still pretty good) and plopped my filling in a line, leaving space between each ravioli.

1. I then did an egg wash (I used 1 beaten egg and a brush) on the sides of the dough and over the filling before I covered the dough.
2. Once sealed I ensured there was no air in my ravioli's, and cut them with my pizza cutter.
3. I then used a fork to get the fancy looking edges on my pasta.
4. I placed my ravioli on a cookie sheet and placed them in the freezer to harden. Once frozen, I put the ravioli's in a freezer bag and placed them back in the freezer.

To heat: Boil a pot of water and cook ravioli from frozen for about 4 min.

*I didn't find it too hard to make these, however they were time consuming. I do like the fact that I can pull them from the freezer quickly and they will make a fast meal (I plan on trying other filling recipes too).  I also made these a little bigger so you don't need as many to fill you up.

My finished ravioli's

The fancy edges