Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Pasta Dough
- 300 g 00 flour
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 15 ml olive oil
- 2 g fine sea salt
Pumpkin Filling
- 250 g pumpkin puree, strained of excess liquid
- 100 g whole milk ricotta, drained
- 50 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 3 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Sage Walnut Butter Sauce
- 100 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 10 g fresh sage, leaves picked
- 50 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 60 ml pasta water, reserved from boiling pasta
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 738 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbohydrates
- 68 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 722 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 13 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 214 mg
- Potassium
- 418 mg
- Calcium
- 305 mg
- Iron
- 3.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 77 mg
- Phosphorus
- 353 mg
- Zinc
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 773 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 16 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.38 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 60 mcg
- Water
- 136 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the 00 flour, eggs, olive oil, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a fork, gradually pulling the flour into the wet ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead vigorously for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If the dough feels too dry, add a few drops of water; if too sticky, dust lightly with flour.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
In a mixing bowl, combine the strained pumpkin puree, drained ricotta, grated parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Stir until completely smooth and well blended. Transfer to a piping bag if using.
Cut the rested dough into four equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time and keeping the others covered, flatten the dough and pass it through a pasta machine, gradually reducing the thickness setting until the sheet is about 1.5mm thick (usually the second-to-last setting).
Lay a sheet of pasta flat on a lightly floured surface. Pipe or spoon small mounds of pumpkin filling (about 10g each) down the center of the sheet, spacing them roughly 5 centimeters apart.
Lightly brush the pasta dough around the filling with a damp finger. Carefully drape a second sheet of pasta over the top. Press down firmly around each mound of filling to expel all trapped air, sealing the edges tightly. Use a pasta cutter or knife to cut out the individual ravioli squares.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Allow it to bubble and foam. Continue cooking until the milk solids drop to the bottom and turn golden brown, reaching approximately 120°C/250°F.
Immediately add the fresh sage leaves and chopped walnuts to the browned butter. Cook for about 1 minute until the sage is crispy and the walnuts are toasted, then remove from heat to prevent burning.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a gentle boil around 100°C/212°F. Carefully drop the ravioli into the water. Cook until they float to the surface and the pasta is tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked ravioli directly into the skillet with the brown butter sauce. Add the reserved pasta water and return the skillet to low heat, gently swirling the pan to emulsify the butter and water into a creamy sauce.
Plate the ravioli immediately, spooning the sage, walnuts, and butter sauce generously over the top. Garnish with extra grated parmesan if desired.
Chef's Notes
- Drain your ricotta and pumpkin puree through cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve overnight if they appear watery. Wet filling will ruin the pasta seal and make the dough soggy.
- When making brown butter, watch the skillet carefully once the milk solids separate. The transition from perfect nutty brown to burnt happens in a matter of seconds.
- Never boil fresh stuffed pasta rapidly; a rolling boil is too aggressive and can easily tear delicate handmade ravioli. Keep the water at a gentle, steady simmer.
- If making the ravioli ahead for a holiday dinner, toss the raw, shaped pasta in semolina flour before placing on your baking sheet to prevent them from sticking to the tray or each other.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store uncooked ravioli on a semolina-dusted tray covered loosely with plastic wrap. Sauce can be made ahead and reheated gently.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze raw ravioli in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight container. Boil directly from frozen, adding 2 minutes to cook time.
Troubleshooting
Ravioli burst open while boiling
Cause: Air was trapped inside the ravioli during shaping, or the edges were not properly sealed.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once broken in the water. Use a slotted spoon immediately to rescue intact ravioli and keep the boil very gentle.
Prevention: Press out all air starting from the filling outward before sealing the edges. Ensure no filling touches the seams, and brush lightly with water to create a strong bind.
Pasta dough is too tough and difficult to roll
Cause: Insufficient resting time or dough is too dry.
Fix: Wrap the dough again and let it rest for another 30 minutes at room temperature.
Prevention: Allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten. Ensure proper hydration when mixing.
Cultural Context
Ravioli traces its origins back to 14th-century Italy, where it was historically served in rich broths or with a simple dressing of butter and sage. The pairing of sweet pumpkin (known as zucca) and savory, nutty browned butter is a classic Northern Italian tradition, particularly famous in the cities of Mantua and Ferrara. This timeless flavor combination elegantly bridges rustic comfort with holiday sophistication.
