Fall’s most delicious shortcut: Pumpkin ravioli in a snap

Is it time for all the pumpkin things? I hope you said yes, because I have a scrumptious pumpkin recipe — pumpkin ravioli!

But let’s make it easy. Rather than fresh pasta, we’ll use wonton wrappers, canned pumpkin and a simple two-ingredient sauce.

Imagine tender ravioli stuffed with pumpkin ricotta, bathed in sage-scented butter and topped with crispy sage leaves and candied pecans and pepitas. This is comfort food at its finest.

This recipe uses canned pumpkin, but you could use fresh pumpkin, butternut or acorn squash.

A 15-ounce can holds just shy of 2 cups of squash. If you have 1 3/4 cups cooked, pureed squash, you’re in business.

This creation is topped with irresistible candied pecans and pepitas. This is optional but highly recommended, as ravioli benefits from the crunchy contrast in texture.

Any combination of nuts or seeds can be candied using this easy technique, even sunflower seeds.

I suggest you start by making the candied nuts. If you choose not to candy the nuts, you can simply add them to the browned butter sauce and it’ll still be great.

Ravioli are easy but a bit time-consuming. Enlist a buddy to make it fun.

Makes a wonderful first course or main dish. Two to three ravioli is ample as an appetizer; four to six make a satisfying dinner portion.

Candied Nuts

Servings: 3/4 cup

Ingredients

3/4 cup nuts/seeds, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Procedure

Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Push nuts to the outside of the skillet and melt butter in center. Coat nuts with butter, sprinkle with sugar and stir constantly until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Transfer to parchment to harden. Cool then break apart.

Pumpkin Wonton Ravioli

Servings: 4 to 6

For the Filling:

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons shallot or sweet onion, minced

1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup ricotta

1/4 cup Parmesan

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Pinch nutmeg

1 pkg. (14 ounce) wonton wrappers

1 egg, beaten

Procedure

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic and shallot until fragrant, add sage. Stir in pumpkin. Reduce heat, add ricotta, Parmesan, brown sugar and nutmeg.

Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken but keep it moving so it doesn’t burn. Set aside to cool.

To fill ravioli: Beat egg with a splash of water for egg wash. Wonton wrappers dry out quickly so keep them covered with a damp towel. Using your finger, paint the egg mixture over all four edges of the wrapper. Place 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin mixture in the center. Lay a second wrapper over the filling, lining up the edges. Press to seal the wrappers together, pressing out any air bubbles. Crimp with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers. Keep covered until ready to boil.

Boil ravioli in batches until they float. Serve with browned butter, sage leaves and candied nuts.

Browned Butter With Sage

Servings: 1/2 cup

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

15 to 20 sage leaves

Procedure

Melt butter over medium heat until foaming and golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the sage leaves and let them sizzle for a couple of minutes. Remove the now crispy sage leaves to a paper towel to drain. Remove butter from the heat.