Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

Get ready to create the most luxurious homemade pasta of your life. This pumpkin ravioli is pure autumn comfort – tender pasta pillows filled with creamy pumpkin and tangy goat cheese, all dressed in a nutty brown butter sauce with crispy sage leaves.

The magic happens when that brown butter hits the fresh sage, creating an intoxicating aroma that’ll make your whole kitchen smell like a high-end Italian restaurant. And those toasted pecans? They add the perfect crunch to complement the silky pasta.

Ingredients

For the Pasta Filling:

• 1 recipe Fresh Pasta Dough (about 1 pound)
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 ounce cold fresh goat cheese

For the Sauce:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 18 fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 cup pecans
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving

Steps

1. Prepare the filling by grating 1 ounce Parmesan and 1 garlic clove into a bowl. Mix in pumpkin, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg until smooth. The mixture should be thick but not stiff – if too wet, it will leak during cooking.
2. Crumble in cold goat cheese in 1/4-inch pieces. Fold gently – you want visible pieces of cheese for pockets of tanginess. Refrigerate to firm up while preparing pasta.
3. Roll pasta dough to 1/32-inch thickness (setting 6-7 on most machines). You’ll know it’s thin enough when you can see your hand through it. Work with 2 sheets at a time to prevent drying.
4. Place 1 teaspoon portions of filling 2 inches apart. Too much filling will prevent proper sealing. Ensure 1-inch border around edges. Brush water between filling mounds.
5. Fold and seal carefully, pressing out air bubbles as you go. Air pockets will cause ravioli to burst during cooking. Cut into 2-inch squares with fluted cutter.
6. Toast pecans in dry pan until fragrant, about 6-7 minutes. They should be golden brown but not burnt – watch carefully as they can turn quickly.
7. Make brown butter by melting butter over low heat until it turns amber and smells nutty (3-4 minutes). Add sage leaves and cook until crisp (2-3 minutes).
8. Cook ravioli in salted water at a gentle boil for 3-4 minutes until they float. Never rapidly boil – this can break them open.
9. Finish by gently tossing ravioli in brown butter sauce with 1/4 cup pasta water. The starchy water will help create a silky sauce that clings to the pasta.

Smart Swaps

• Use butternut squash purée instead of pumpkin (1:1 ratio)
• Replace pecans with walnuts or hazelnuts
• Substitute ricotta for goat cheese if preferred

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Use whole wheat pasta flour (reduces net carbs by 25%)
• Replace half the pasta with zucchini ribbons
• Portion size: 4-5 ravioli per serving (approximately 30g carbs)
• Serve with extra vegetables to lower glycemic impact

Pro Tips

• Freeze uncooked ravioli on baking sheets, then transfer to freezer bags
• Test one ravioli first to ensure proper cooking time
• Pat sage leaves completely dry for best crisping