Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli
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Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli is one of our favorite ravioli recipes! This recipe combines the rich sweet flavors of roasted butternut squash with the delicate texture of homemade pasta. Top it with a light pancetta and herb sauce for a restaurant-quality meal at home.
As much as we love classic meat, cheese ravioli, mushroom ravioli or spinach ravioli, this butternut squash recipe has become a new fall favorite. You will love how the butternut squash shines in this recipe. The trick to heighten the butternut squash flavor is to roast it in the oven. Roasting creates caramelization and intensifies the sweetness and nuttiness of this winter squash.
Table of contents
The delicious butternut squash filling in this recipe combines the roasted squash with fresh sage, thyme, and a blend of pecorino and parmesan cheeses. It is so tasty that I just sit and eat all the leftover filling with a spoon when I am done filling the ravioli!
This time of year you can certainly find butternut squash ravioli in the grocery store. But I am here to tell you that making your own pasta is by far the best idea! I know it takes a little time to make and fill these pasta pillows but believe me when I say that it is much better than any store-bought ravioli. As an added bonus, it freezes beautifully. So you can enjoy some now and later on, you can have a delicious homemade pasta dish in minutes even when life is at its most hectic.
Ingredients You Need
For the Fresh Pasta
00 Flour: You can substitute all-purpose flour in this recipe.
Eggs: Bring the eggs to room temperature so that they blend evenly in the pasta dough.
For the Ravioli Filling
Butternut Squash: A whole or pre-cut butternut squash can be used.
Parmesan/Pecorino Romano Cheese: A blend of the two cheeses gives just the right amount of salty nutty flavor. You can also use all parmesan cheese if you like.
Fresh Thyme and Sage Leaves: Finely chopped.
Nutmeg: This brings out the nutty spices in the butternut squash, but it is optional.
Step by Step Instructions
1. How to Make the Pasta Dough
- Pour the flour into a mound on your work surface and create a well in the middle. You can also do this in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and a pinch of salt to the center of the well.
- Using a fork or our fingers, mix the eggs, breaking them and pulling in a little of the flour at a time until you have created a shaggy dough.
- Knead the dough, continuing to add in more flour until the dough is yellow in color and tacky but no longer sticky. If your dough seems too dry, knead in a few drops of water. The dough should spring back when you press it with your finger. It will take about 10 minutes to knead the dough to the proper consistency.
- Once the dough is done, wrap it in plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes.
2. Make the Butternut Squash Ravioli Filling
- Roast the squash: Cut the whole butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and any fibers, drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper over the cut side of the squash. Place it cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet, poke holes in the skin with a fork, and roast at 400 degrees F for 45-55 minutes depending on the size of your butternut squash. A fork or knife should easily pierce the skin and the squash should be tender throughout. Let it cool completely then use a fork to scrape out the flesh.
- Combine the butternut squash, grated cheese, thyme, sage, and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.
3. Roll Out the Ravioli Dough
- In a small bowl, beat an egg and set it aside. You will use this as an egg wash to seal the pasta together. Divide the dough into 6 even pieces. Work with one piece at a time and rewrap the remainder of the dough in the plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
- Set the pasta machine on the widest setting. Roll the dough through the machine and repeat this, continuing to reduce the settings on the pasta machine until you are rolling out thin sheets of pasta that you can see your hands through. I like to take it all the way to the thinnest setting.
- Flour the pasta sheet, set it on a baking sheet or a floured surface, and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat with a second piece of dough.
4. Assemble Using a Ravioli Mold (see photos above)
- Lay 1 sheet of pasta dough on the bottom portion of the ravioli press and place the top of the press (this portion will fit into the bottom and will create the pocket for your filling) on the dough.
- Remove the top of the ravioli press and fill each pocket with about ½ teaspoon of butternut squash filling.
- Brush the second sheet of pasta with the egg wash and lay it on top of the press completely covering the edges. Press down on the dough and push out any air that is between the sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough against the press. Make sure that you use enough pressure to cut through the dough around each ravioli.
- Remove the excess dough from around the edges of the press and carefully pop the ravioli out.
5. Assemble the Homemade Ravioli without a Mold
- Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly dusted work surface and brush it with the egg wash. Drop dollops of the filling about 1″ apart on the lower half of the pasta dough, leaving about a 1/4″ border along the bottom of the dough.
- Fold the dough over the mounds of filling and use your fingers to carefully press down around the filling to release the air and seal the dough.
- Use a sharp knife, pizza cutter or ravioli cutter to cut evenly between each mound. You can leave the ravioli like this, or press a fork all around the edges to create a creased edge.
Dust the ravioli with flour and place it on a cookie sheet. Cover it with a plastic wrap while you continue making the remainder of your ravioli.
To cook the ravioli, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop the desired amount of ravioli into the boiling water and cook it until it floats to the top. Fresh pasta cooks quickly so it won’t take more than 3-4 minutes to cook. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.
Cooking Tips
Knead the dough for a full ten minutes. This is going to be a workout, but it is so important to create the light texture of the pasta dough. If the dough is not kneaded enough it will be dense and chewy and this is definitely not what we are going for.
Keep the dough you are not working with wrapped in plastic wrap. If the dough starts to dry it will form a crust, harden, and become difficult to work with.
For everything you need to know about homemade pasta you will want to check out my guide.
To make the process go more smoothly:
- Roast the butternut squash before you start to make the pasta dough so that it has time to cool before you make the dough.
- Prepare the filling while the dough is resting.
- Ideally, your sauce should be ready when the ravioli is done cooking. Depending on the sauce you plan to serve with the ravioli, you will need to either make it before you cook the pasta or you should start cooking it while the pasta water is coming to a boil.
Serving Suggestions
This butternut squash ravioli recipe pairs best with a light buttery sauce that lets the flavors of the filling shine through. Our favorites are Pancetta and Herb Butternut Squash Ravioli sauce or a simple brown butter sauce with crispy sage leaves. A light cream sauce would also be a delicious option. And don’t forget to serve additional grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top!
Butternut squash ravioli is perfect in smaller portions as a starter or it can be a delicious entree served with a side salad and a loaf of bread or focaccia. For a sweet ending try a classic Vanilla Panna Cotta or a traditional Italian Apricot Jam Crostata.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Any leftover cooked ravioli can be placed in an air-tight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
I love to make a large batch of ravioli and have it in the freezer ready for when we get a craving for a special dish. The best way to freeze ravioli is to lay the fresh ravioli in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the freezer for about 50 minutes to an hour. Once the individual ravioli is frozen you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Then you can store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More Delicious Recipes
If you love ravioli you will want to try this Creamy Lobster Ravioli Sauce or Ravioli Carbonara. They are perfect for a dinner party or just when you want to treat yourself to something special!
Homemade pasta and gnocchi are so fun to make and eat! My gnocchetti (which are really pasta) and sweet potato gnocchi are family favorites.
Another great pasta option is Nonna’s Pasta al Forno, cheesy baked pasta. This recipe is a bit different then the classic version with meat sauce and cheese, but oh so delicious! Nonna makes a tasty sauce that includes zucchini and mushrooms! Trust me…this is amazing!
I love to get your feedback so if you tried this Butternut Squash Ravioli or any other recipes on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy our recipes and look forward to hearing from you! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more recipes your family will love.
Butternut Squash Ravioli
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Equipment
- Pasta machine or rolling pin
- Ravioli Form or sharp knife
Ingredients
Homemade Pasta Dough
- 2½ cups 00 Flour or all purpose flour
- 4 Eggs large
- 1 pinch Salt
Butternut Squash Filling
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Butternut Squash roasted
- ⅓ cup Parmesan/Romano Cheese blend grated
- 1 tsp Thyme chopped, fresh
- 1 tsp Sage chopped, fresh
- 1 pinch Nutmeg
- 1 Egg
Instructions
Pasta Dough
- Pour the flour into a mound on a work surface and create a well in the middle. Add the eggs to the center of the flour well and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- Using a fork mix the eggs breaking them up and stirring in a little of the flour from the edges of the well. Continue stirring the eggs and pulling in the flour a little at a time until a shaggy ball of dough starts to form.
- Using your hands combine the rest of the flour into the dough ball. Knead the dough taking up as much flour as the dough will take. If the dough feels too dry you can add a few drops of water. Continue kneading the dough until it forms a smooth yolky colored ball of dough about 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it springs back up when you press it with your finger.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for about 30-40 minutes.
Filling
- Roast the squash: Cut the whole butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds and any fibers from the center of the squash. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper over the cut side of the squash. Place it cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet and poke holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it at 400 degrees F for 45-55 minutes depending on the size of your butternut squash. A fork or knife should easily pierce the skin and the squash should be tender throughout. Let it cool completely then use a fork to scrape out the flesh.
- Combine the butternut squash, grate cheese, thyme, sage and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.
Assemble the Ravioli
- In a small bowl beat the egg for the egg wash and set aside.
- Divide the dough into 6 even pieces. Work with one piece at a time and rewrap the remainder of the dough in the plastic warp to keep it from drying out.
- Set the pasta machine on the widest setting. Flatten the dough so that it can fit in the pasta roller. Roll the dough through the machine and repeat this, continuing to reduce the settings on the pasta machine, until the pasta is thin and you can see your hands through the pasta dough. Flour the pasta sheet, set on cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Lay 1 sheet of pasta dough on the bottom portion of the ravioli press and place the top of the press (this portion will fit into the bottom and will create the pocket for your filling) on the dough. Depending on how long your dough sheet is you may have to trim it so that it just hangs over the press.
- Remove the top of the ravioli press and fill each pocket with about ½ teaspoon of filling.
- Brush another sheet of pasta with the egg wash and lay it on top of the press completely covering the edges of the press.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough against the press. Make sure that you use enough pressure to cut through the dough around each ravioli.
- Remove the excess dough around the edges of the press and carefully pop the ravioli out of the form. Dust the ravioli with flour and place on a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic warp while you continue making the remainder of your ravioli.
- To cook ravioli, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Drop the desired number of ravioli into the water and cook until the ravioli float to the top of the pot, about 3 minutes. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.
Notes
- To make the ravioli without a ravioli form:
- Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly dusted work surface and brush it with the egg wash. Drop dollops of the filling about 1″ apart on the lower half of the pasta dough, leaving about a 1/4″ border along the bottom of the dough.
- Fold the dough over the mounds of filling and use your fingers to carefully press down around the filling to release the air and seal the dough.
- Use a sharp knife, pizza cutter or ravioli cutter to cut evenly between each mound. You can leave the ravioli like this, or press a fork all around the edges to create a creased edge.
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The ravioli can be cooked immediately or you can place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze for 40-60 minutes. After they are individually frozen you can transfer them to a smaller container or a freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Creamy and delicious
Yum!!!