| MANGIA BENE PASTA |
| The following recipes were especially selected for you to showcase some of the special ingredients that we typically associate with the season of autumn. Serve them as an appetizer, a side dish, or as an alternative entrée for your vegetarian friends and family members. The fillings can be used to fill fresh homemade ravioli dough or you can purchase dried pasta in the form of shells or manicotti and fill them. Then choose any one of the sauce recipes that you feel best complements your pasta and your tastes. |
| Recipe Suggestions: |
| * Ravioli can be made ahead and frozen individually on a cookie sheet. When completely frozen, store them in a freezer bag for 2-3 months. |
| * Wonton wrappers can be substituted for fresh ravioli dough. Just be sure to moisten edges before sealing. |
| * Use frozen or canned squash or sweet potatoes rather than baking fresh. Mash and drain in a strainer to remove excess water. |
| * Just make one of our sauces and serve it over purchased vegetable or cheese ravioli, gnocchi, or tortellini. |
| * Top completed dish with toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds. |
| Recipes (Serve 4 as an entrée) |
| Fillings: Sweet Potato |
| Butternut Squash |
| Easy Pumpkin |
| Chestnut |
| Sauces: Simple Sage Butter |
| Spicy Shallots and Sage Butter |
| Apple Cider |
| Sage Cream |
| Butter and Parmesan Cheese |
| Brown Butter with Pecans |
| FILLINGS: |
| Sweet Potato Filling |
| 2 large sweet potatoes (choose potatoes with reddish-orange skin) |
| 2 Italian amaretti cookies, chopped until fine in a food processor) |
| 1 egg yolk |
| 3 TB. prosciutto, chopped |
| 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated |
| pinch nutmeg |
| salt and pepper |
| Bake sweet potatoes until very tender, about 1 hour in a 400-degree oven. |
| Peel potatoes and mash well. |
| Add cookie crumbs, egg yolk, prosciutto, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper. |
| Combine well and fill pasta. |
| Butternut Squash Filling |
| 1-1/2 lb. butternut squash, halved and seeded |
| 2 TB. brown sugar |
| 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon |
| 1/4 cup maple syrup |
| 1 cup ricotta cheese |
| 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated |
| 2 TB. parsley, chopped |
| salt and pepper |
| Place squash, cut sides down, on an oiled baking sheet in a 400-degree oven for 1 hour. |
| Remove and cool completely. Scoop out squash into a bowl. Mash well. |
| Mix in remaining ingredients. Fill pasta. |
| Easy Pumpkin Filling |
| 1 (1 lb.) can solid pack pumpkin (do not use pumpkin pie filling) |
| 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated |
| 1/4 cup brown sugar |
| 1/4 tsp. nutmeg |
| pinch of salt |
| Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Fill pasta. |
| Chestnut Filling |
| 1/2 lb. fresh chestnuts, roasted and shelled (8 oz. canned or bottled may also be used) |
| 1/4 cup prosciutto, chopped (3 slices of finely chopped bacon may be substituted) |
| 3 TB. butter |
| 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped |
| 1 garlic clove, minced |
| 1/2 of an apple, coarsely chopped (or 3 TB. apple sauce) |
| 2 TB. Parmesan cheese, grated |
| 1 TB. parsley, chopped |
| Salt and pepper |
| Sauté prosciutto in butter until slightly crisp, about 3-4 minutes. |
| If you are substituting bacon, omit the butter. |
| Add onion and garlic, cook an additional 3-4 minutes. |
| Transfer to a food processor. Add apple or sauce and pulse to chop finely. |
| Add a little water if the mixture does not hold together. |
| Add remaining ingredients. Fill pasta. |
| SAUCES: |
| Simple Sage Butter Sauce |
| 6 TB. unsalted butter |
| 1 TB. fresh sage, finely chopped |
| salt and pepper |
| Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to brown. |
| Stir in sage and cook 1-2 minutes. |
| Season with salt and pepper. Pour over pasta. |
| Spicy Shallot and Sage Butter Sauce |
| 1/4 cup olive oil |
| 4 shallots, thinly sliced |
| 4 TB. butter |
| 6 sage leaves, thinly sliced |
| pinch of red pepper flakes |
| Heat oil on saucepan over medium heat. |
| Fry shallots until crisp and brown bout 2-3 minutes. Remove shallots. |
| Add butter to saucepan and heat until it just begins to brown. |
| Remove from heat, add sage and red pepper flakes. |
| Pour over pasta and sprinkle with fried shallots. |
| Apple Cider Sauce |
| 2 TB. unsalted butter |
| 2 shallots, finely chopped |
| 1-1/2 cups chicken broth |
| 1/2 cup apple cider |
| 1 TB. fresh parsley, chopped |
| Salt and pepper |
| Grated Parmesan |
| Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté 1-2 minutes. |
| Add broth and cider. Simmer about 10 minutes to reduce slightly. |
| Add parley, salt and pepper to taste. |
| Pour over pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. |
| Sage Cream Sauce |
| 1 TB. unsalted butter |
| 1/4 cup pecans, chopped |
| 2 shallots, chopped |
| 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped |
| 3/4 cup white wine |
| 2/3 cup heavy cream |
| Grated Parmesan cheese |
| Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. |
| Add pecans and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. |
| Remove pecans using a slotted spoon or strain and return butter to saucepan. |
| Add shallots and sage. Saute 1 minute. |
| Add wine and cream. |
| Increase heat and cook about 5 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. |
| Pour over pasta. Top with pecans and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. |
| Butter and Parmesan Cheese Sauce |
| 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated |
| 4 TB. unsalted butter |
| Put hot drained pasta in a bowl. |
| Add 1/2 cup of parmesan and 2 TB. of butter. |
| Blend with pasta quickly and thoroughly. |
| Add remaining cheese and butter. |
| Blend again and serve. |
| Brown Butter with Pecans |
| 6 TB. unsalted butter |
| 1 garlic clove, minced |
| 2 TB. sage leaves, chopped |
| 2 TB. parsley, chopped |
| 1/3 cup pecans, chopped and toasted |
| Melt butter in a saucepan with the garlic, sage and parsley. |
| Cook over low heat until the butter is light brown. |
| Add the pecans and cook for 30 seconds. |
| Pour over pasta. |
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| "FLAVORS OF AUTUMN" RAVIOLI |
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