Acorn Squash Raviolis

Quintessential fall cooking includes apples, pumpkin, and squash. The first I’m obsessed with (scroll down to previous posts), the second I highly detest, the third is debatable. I hate butternut squash. It falls in the same category as pumpkin to me. I like my sweetness in dessert, not savory foods. But other squashes aren’t as bad. I have been trying to branch out and have bought a few acorn squashes lately. Tonight I made homemade acorn squash raviolis. They came out good, but I have decided I’m just not that into acorn squash. I think this will be my last time playing with one. As I ate my ravs, I was wishing they were just plain cheese. Anyways, those into squash, I think would really like these and should try them out.

Acorn Squash Raviolis:

(Based on my original ravioli recipe I learned at The Brooklyn Kitchen.)

Ingredients for dough:

- 1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

- 1 large egg

- 1/8 cup water

- 1/2 teaspoon EVOO

- a pinch of salt

Ingredients for the filling:
- 1/2 acorn squash
- 1/4 tablespoons ricotta cheese

- 1 tablespoons olive oil

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. On a flat surface, make a mound of flour and create a hole in the center.

2. Crack the egg in the center and start slowly mixing with a fork. Slowly incorporate the flour in, a little at a time.

3. When it starts looking like a pancake batter, add in the water, oil, and salt and continue mixing in my floor from the walls.

4. When the walls are almost gone, I used my handy dandy plastic cutter to chop in the rest of the flour, folding over from each side.

5. Once the flour is almost all combined in, drop the fork and start using your hands to knead the dough.

6. Work it gently by folding the dough in half and pressing down on it away fro you, turn it 90 degrees and repeat; Do this until you have a smooth ball.

7. Cover in plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.

8. While waiting for the dough, combine all your filling ingredients together in the food processor and set aside. 

9. Split your dough ball in two.

10. Flatten out with your hand and then either roll it out with a rolling pin or using a pasta machine.

11. Fold your flat dough over and perforate a crease at the center.

12. Place spoonfuls of filling roughly an inch apart.

13. With your finger, paint water around each filling pile to act as the glue.

14. Carefully fold over dough covering each ball making sure to push out all air from each pocket.

15. Cut to the desired size.

 (There are usually scraps leftover, which are perfect more making a little batch of spaghetti on the side!) 

16. Depending on the thickness these will take 2-3 minutes to cook and should start floating when ready.

17. Enjoy!