Butternut Squash Ravioli With Browned Butter, Sage and Pinenuts

Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out all the seeds and stringy bits. Rub the flesh with olive oil and place cut side down on a heavy cookie sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until fully soft. While the squash is roasting, cut up the onion or shallot and saute in olive oil or butter until translucent, then stir in the crushed dried sage. Once the squash is done and has cooled down enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the skin and place in a bowl. Add the sauteed shallot or onion mixture and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese (this can be skipped if making dairy-free ravioli).

Make the dough: Pour the flour onto a cookie sheet, gather it into a pile, add the salt, and form a well in the middle of the flour. Crack the eggs into the well.

Incorporate the egg into the flour with a fork. Once the fork tines get clogged, clean them off and begin using your fingers to mix everything together roughly. If the dough is too stiff and difficult to work with, add a little bit of either olive oil or water to help it stick together.

Once the dough begins to stick together, form it into a ball (it will appear to be composed of flakes of dough, which is normal). Knead the dough for 10 minutes using the heel of your hand to push it away from you, then fold the flap back towards you and give it a quarter turn. Press down on another section and repeat. The dough will be stiff-textured, much more so than bread dough, and hard to work with. Knead until the dough is smooth.

Pat the dough into a neat ball, cover it with a dish towel or sheet of plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes (1-2 hours is even better). This step is crucial and should not be skipped.

After the dough has rested (it should be more pliable), cut the ball of dough into four pieces. Put three pieces back under the towel or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out, and flatten the fourth piece with your palm or a rolling pin.

Clamp the pasta roller to the edge of a table and set the machine to its widest setting. Feed the flattened ball of dough through the rollers a few times, folding it over each time before pushing it through to further knead and smooth the dough. Then, feed the dough through on successively narrower settings until you've reached your desired thickness (for ravioli, this will likely be the machine's smallest setting). The dough will become long and ribbon-like. You may need an extra set of hands to catch the dough or turn the crank, though it can be done alone.

Lay the rolled out ribbon of dough on kitchen towels or on a floured (or semolina-dusted) cookie sheet to rest for 5 minutes. Do not let it get too dry. You may need to cut it into two or more pieces to fit it on a cookie sheet or towel, making sure to match them up in size as one piece will be used for the top of the ravioli and one for the bottom.

Place your bowl of filling and a small spoon at a convenient spot. Position your cookie sheet (lightly covered with flour or semolina) in front of you. Lay two roughly equal-sized ribbons of rolled pasta dough on the sheet lengthwise. If one is larger, use that one as the bottom sheet.

Using the spoon, place dollops of filling at equally-spaced intervals along the bottom ribbon of dough. If the ribbon is tall enough, you may fit two rows of filling; otherwise, just use one. Be careful not to add too much filling or place the dollops too close to each other or the edge, as you need adequate space to seal each ravioli and cut it apart.

Once the filling drops are in place, dip your finger or a pastry brush into a bowl of water and wet a grid pattern around each dollop of filling. It is essential to wet the dough thoroughly (without making puddles) around each drop of filling, as this creates the seal between the bottom and top pieces of dough. An incomplete seal increases the likelihood of ravioli exploding while cooking.

Once the bottom ribbon of dough is moistened, lift the top piece of dough and position it over the bottom, matching them as well as possible. Lay the top ribbon carefully over the bottom one, gently pressing each mound of filling with your fingers to push the air out of each pillow before pressing the top strip of dough to the wetted area of the bottom strip to make the seal. Removing air from the pockets helps prevent the ravioli from exploding during cooking.

Using a ravioli cutter (or a regular paring knife for straight edges), cut carefully down the middle of each row in both directions to separate the ravioli. Ensure equal space on each side and avoid cutting too close to the filling. Place the cut ravioli on another cookie tray lightly dusted with semolina to prevent sticking. You can also stack them in layers on pieces of lightly floured parchment paper if you have many. Ravioli freeze well, so it's recommended to make enough to freeze for future meals, given the time-consuming process.

When ready to cook, boil a large pot of salted water and drop the ravioli in, cooking for just about 5 minutes (fresh pasta cooks very quickly). Meanwhile, melt a hunk of butter in a frying pan, add a handful of washed and dried fresh sage leaves and some pinenuts, and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked ravioli directly from the pot to the frying pan and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and top with fresh parmesan.