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Creamy Butternut Squash and Ravioli with Sage Butter and Amaretto Cookies

Creamy Butternut Squash and Ravioli with Sage Butter and Amaretto Cookies
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I roast butternut squash and then purée it with a little stock to make the base of this gorgeous fall dish. I drizzle the ravioli with brown butter and sage. I add abundant Parmesan and I top it with a few crumbled amaretto cookies, then I finish it with crispy sage leaves. This pasta recipe is drop dead gorgeous and it starts a meal with a bang. It’s creamy, nutty with a lovely crunch and a sweet bite from the Amaretto cookies. Butternut is always dependable; it’s tempting to use it exclusively. But you would be missing out on the Fall bounty. Try Kabocha, Crown Prince or even the humble Acorn for a change. Also, no shame here, consider using a package of cubed precut squash to save time.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Creamy Butternut Squash and Ravioli with Sage Butter and Amaretto Cookies
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I roast butternut squash and then purée it with a little stock to make the base of this gorgeous fall dish. I drizzle the ravioli with brown butter and sage. I add abundant Parmesan and I top it with a few crumbled amaretto cookies, then I finish it with crispy sage leaves. This pasta recipe is drop dead gorgeous and it starts a meal with a bang. It’s creamy, nutty with a lovely crunch and a sweet bite from the Amaretto cookies. Butternut is always dependable; it’s tempting to use it exclusively. But you would be missing out on the Fall bounty. Try Kabocha, Crown Prince or even the humble Acorn for a change. Also, no shame here, consider using a package of cubed precut squash to save time.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Ingredients
  • pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch pieces
  • 4 medium shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
  • Fine sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 bunch thyme springs
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, plus more as needed
  • ½ packed cup fresh sage leaves
  • 1 stick (8 teaspoons), unsalted butter
  • coarse sea salt
  • 1 pound artisanal store-bought ricotta filled ravioli, squash or sweet sausage ravioli can be used
  • 4 small Amaretto cookies crumbled
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash and shallots on a lined sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper then top with thyme sprigs. Toss well and roast until the squash is very tender, 40 to 45 minutes, tossing a few times throughout. While the squash roasts, bring a large pot of water to boil.
  2. Cut the unsalted butter into 8 pieces. Place in a medium light-colored pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Add the sage leaves. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the color goes from yellow to golden-caramel to, a toasty-brown and the sage leaves turn crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Be careful not to burn the butter. I usually remove the pan from the heat a minute before it turns a dark color, and I let the browning process finish on its own. Remove the crispy sage leaves, drain them on a paper towel and set aside.
  3. Discard the thyme sprigs from the roasted squash and shallots and transfer to a blender or food processor, along with 1 cup stock, and blend until smooth and thick. Work in batches if necessary. The consistency should be between a purée and a thick soup. Add more stock as needed if it seems too thick. Set aside.
  4. Add the ravioli to the boiling water, along with a generous tablespoon of coarse sea salt. The water should taste like the ocean. Cook until al dente. About four minutes.
  5. Drain the ravioli, gently with a large, slotted spoon and place in a shallow large bowl. Drizzle with ¾ of the browned butter and the parmesan. Reserve the rest of the brown butter for finishing.
  6. Spoon a generous amount of the puréed squash at the bottom of four shallow pasta bowls then spread nicely with the back of the spoon. Portion off the cooked ravioli and lay gently over the squash. Sprinkle them with extra grated Parmesan, drizzle with the remaining brown butter. Add a few crumbs of the Amaretto cookies on each plate and finish with the crispy sage leaves. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
  • Amaretto cookies add a nutty and sweet note to this lovely fall pasta. They are often mixed into the filling of squash ravioli in the northern of Italy. If the idea of adding cookies to your pasta is too daring, just omit them and substitute with crispy pancetta or caramelized and crumbled sweet Italian sausage.
  • This dish works great also with a short pasta like penne or gemelli for a less formal weeknight dinner.
  • Ravioli take time and dexterity to make from scratch. Don’t agonize, these days you can find great artisanal options at your local grocery store.
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Puberty Class

Euphoria has been building in our home. The infamous puberty class is happening today. Questions have been flying in for months as well as large packs of manly Axe Deodorant. I have spent hours at the local pharmacy waiting for my son to choose between Gold Temptation, Anarchy For Him and yes, something named Excite Deodorant Stick.

Secretly I want my boy to remain cute, cuddly and stinky forever but as a mother I feel the responsibility to give him the chance to grow up in to a strong, confident, respectful, kind and hopefully succesful man.  The way I see it, we have enough puberty-trapped, spoiled men-children disrupting our lives at the moment.

Below you’ll find some of the questions my husband and I answered this year. My younger daughter of course felt the need to jump in abundantly and she was not shy with her queries. The creatures  seem to be the most curious at inopportune times and/or when guests, grandparents or church ladies are close by, but we have learned to deflect when necessary and to answer with— I hope — honesty and humor.

If you feel the need to sit with your family and have “the talk” or any talk, consider making my recipe for a lighter version of a lasagna tray made with pane Casarau. Pane Casarau is an ancient flat bread from Sardegna. The airy flat layers are simply delicious, salty and crunchy. They are made of flour, yeast, water, and salt. The dough is rolled out thin and baked, then split into two layers which are baked again. The result is a thin, crispy cracker like, bread. This crispy bread is great on its own or served together with a fresh but dry pecorino and thick slices of prosciutto. It’s also delicious when layered in this version of the ultimate family comfort food, my easy and light ragu’ and mozzarella lasagna. This lasagna is healthier, lighter than the original version. The Casarau bread while satisfying has less gluten than pasta resulting in a more digestible dish.

I believe ancient wisdom is always the best ingredient therefore I cannot wait to sit around the family table tonight and dispense my knowledge. I’m sure the discussions will not disappoint. Happy Wednesday to all the ladies working hard at growing boys in to good men, not an easy task. #RESIST

 

Puberty Questions:

Does it hurt to get a baby created?
Why do you have sex?
How do you have sex
When you are going through puberty would a person have mood swings?
When do you start having your period?
When do you start growing hair under your armpits?
Does it feel good to have sex?
What happens if puberty doesn’t happen to you?
Why does puberty happen?
Why do people stop doing puberty?
What is it called when you have a tingling in your private part? Is it called an orgasm?
Can a man have a woman’s part and a woman have a man’s part?
What is an orgasm?
What are the side effects of sex?
What makes semen?
What color is sperm?
If I had all the symptoms of a period would I get it soon even if I’m only 10?
What do men and women have to have to make a child?
Does the flow of the period last days?
How many hormones are in the human body?
What age do you start have and stop having baby?
Why do girls go through more things than boys do?
Why do you have a half cup of blood when you have your period? Why not ¼ or 3/8?
How does the HIV virus go into other person by having sex?
What are AIDS?
What happens when a man’s penis becomes hard?
Why is it wrong to have sex before you are married and who came up with the idea that it is?
How do you know someone is in love with you?
Why do people have sexual change of feelings about a man or woman?
How do I know it’s time to wear deodorant?
Why can some women can’t have baby?
Is it normal for a 5th grader to have pubic hairs?
Why does my penis get big? I mean I know what’s supposed to happen but why does it happen randomly?
Do you have to have sex?
I just wanted to know if the sack behind penis ever runs out of sperm?
Why are kids mental when there parents are related?
Is having sex the only way to have a baby?
What are the positions for having sex?
Where do you have sex?
How does sex change your life?
How large does your penis grow when you hit puberty?
How do condoms work?
Can a man to man make babies?
Will my personality change in puberty? Will I become unnaturally gloomy?
Can puberty be disturbing sometimes?
Where does the liquid from the boy’s penis come from?
How are ferternal twins born?
My question is, what happens to your body after experiencing “it”!
For breast feeding where does the milk come from?
When is the right time to start wearing bras?
What happens if one of your breasts is bigger than the other? Is that bad?
Will it hurt when my body changes?
Why are we even talking about these things?

 

Pane Casarau Lasagna Bake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6/8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6/8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Pane Casarau Lasagna Bake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6/8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6/8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 cups tomato sauce you can use Pomi strained tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 8/12 crackers pane Casarau I used 1 and 1/2 square pack available at Trader Joe's
  • salt and pepper to season
  • 2 cups meat ragu'
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella sliced
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven at 350°F. Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Wet the Pane Casarau crackers with the vegetable stock or the water to soften them. Then cover the tomato sauce with one layer of the Pane Casaurau. You can break the bread to fit pan.
  2. Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bread and season highly with salt and pepper. Add a thin layer of ragu' sauce and spread. Sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of the grated pecorino and parmigiano. Add 4 to 6 thin slices of the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with basil leaves.
  3. Cover with a layer of the softened Pane Casarau and repeat for 2 or 3 more layers using all the ingredients. Top with a layer of tomato sauce and sprinkle evenly with the grated cheeses.
  4. Bake for 30 to 35 minute, or until the cheese on the top is melted and slightly golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil to finish.
Recipe Notes

I used a square version of Pane Casarau from Trader Joe's.  You can find the bread online at hwww.amazon.com/Pane-Carasau-Flatbread-Classic-gram/dp/B007W5OUB6

I have made the lasagna without ragu' and I increased the amount of tomato sauce and the mozzarella.

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Parmesan Crackers

Buttery, crumbly cheesy. Just a little spicy and perfect with a glass of bubbly. They are a must at cocktail hour. Look at them disappear!

 

Parmesan Crackers
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Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
45 2 inches round cookies 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
12-15 minutes 2 hours
Servings Prep Time
45 2 inches round cookies 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
12-15 minutes 2 hours
Parmesan Crackers
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
45 2 inches round cookies 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
12-15 minutes 2 hours
Servings Prep Time
45 2 inches round cookies 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
12-15 minutes 2 hours
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 1/2 sticks cold butter cut in pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 1 large yolk with a pinch of paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds lightly crushed
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
Servings: 2 inches round cookies
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with baking paper. Put the flour, salt, cayenne, and baking powder in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse again until the butter is in small pieces, six to eight 1-second pulses. Add the cheeses, pulse, and finally, add the egg and pulse until the mixture just starts to come together.
  2. Tip the dough on an unfloured surface. Knead by lightly smearing the ingredients together as you push them away from you with the heel of your hand until the dough is cohesive.
  3. Shape the dough into logs roughly 2 inches in diameter and wrap in film and chill for a couple of hours, until firm.
  4. Take the logs out of the fridge, remove film and brush with egg and paprika and coat with the sesame and cumin seeds. Slice the log in to disk about 1/8 of an inch high.
  5. Arrange the disks on the lined baking trays spacing well. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. To test, break one in half and look to see if the center still looks doughy. If so, cook for a few more minutes, but be careful not to overbake. Let cool on a rack and store only when completely cool.
Recipe Notes

Keep a couple of extra logs in the freezer. Slice and bake when guests pop by!  I also like to add cheddar or blue cheese and nuts.

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