Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Ravioli

Recipe submitted by Rod K.

1 large roasted butternut squash
1 cup pumpkin puree (not canned pumpkin pie filling)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 -2 packages wonton wrappers
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (not the stuff in the green plastic jar)
1 tsp. egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To roast the squash: Cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds (hint: save the seeds for roasting – yum!), and
place cut side down on a non-stick baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Drizzle the skin of each half with about ½ teaspoon olive oil. Roast in oven until flesh is very soft (about 25-40 min). Allow to cool before step #2.

Scoop the cooked squash into a bowl, add the pumpkin, and mash until smooth. Mix in the cheese until well
blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  To make the ravioli, cut the won ton wrappers into fourths.   Keep wrappers under a damp cloth to prevent drying. Place a wonton wrapper on a clean, flat surface.  Brush edges with the egg white. Place about ½ teaspoon of the squash mixture in the middle of the wonton. Cover with a second wonton wrapper. Carefully press the edges together, making sure to squeeze out any air bubbles and sealing all four edges. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and squash mixture until all have been used.

Fill a deep pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Drop the ravioli into the boiling water, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove, drain, and serve with sauce of your choice homemade, leftover spaghetti sauce with ground meat –but you may wish to experiment with a cheese or a brown butter sage sauce).

Hint: This is a bit labor intensive but definitely worth it.  Gather the kids, and maybe even the neighbor’s kids, for a massive ravioli making party. Prepare a batch of 2-3 different types of fillings (e.g., cheese, ground meat, squash, spinach, etc.) and make a large quantity of each kind to freeze for those need-it-in-a-hurry Sunday meals.

To freeze: Simply place them in a zip-top freezer bag after step #3. Do allow them to air dry for a few minutes before placing them in the bag, to prevent them from sticking together. They need not be entirely thawed before boiling them; 10 - 20 minutes on the counter for a quart-sized bag should do it.

Nutrition facts: 1 cup of butternut squash contains over 450% RDA of Vitamin A and 50% RDA of Vitamin; it is also a good source for Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Manganese, and Magnesium. It has a fullness rating of 3.8 and nutrition rating of 4.5 (on 5 point scale). One serving (8 wrappers) won ton wrappers contains 10% RDA of iron.  (http://www.nutritiondata.com/).