Pumpkin Ravioli Recipe

Guido Pedrelli
Guido Pedrelli
Italian Cuisine Expert and Food Blogger
Guido Pedrelli
Guido Pedrelli, the mastermind behind Nonna Box, has honed his culinary expertise for decades, inspired by family feasts in Emilia-Romagna. Mentored by his restaurateur nonna, he mastered Italian classics and furthered his skills with professional culinary studies in desserts and gelato making from Mec3. Today, he shares this rich legacy and authentic recipes through Nonna Box.
Expertise: Italian cuisine, Pasta, Pizza, Pastry, Dessert

The sweetness of pumpkin, the nuttiness of amaretti cookies and the spiciness of nutmeg make this delicious pumpkin filled ravioli recipe one of the most interesting you can find in Northern Italy. While the people from Milan are known for their prowess in business more than their prowess in the kitchen, pumpkin ravioli might just be the dish that destroys that tired stereotype and brings you a new appreciation of cuisine from Northern Italy.

Tortelli di Zucca Pumpkin tortelli ravioli recipe

And it isn’t just delicious pumpkin ravioli that Milan has to offer, look for our recipes for buckwheat PizzoccheriRisotto with Ossobuco and of course there are excellent products like fresh Grana Padano and Robiola cheese. Keep reading for our mouthwatering pumpkin ravioli with butter and sage sauce recipe.

Kitchen equipment needed to make pumpkin ravioli

Here is a list of the kitchen equipment and bake ware you’ll need to whip up the homemade pasta, creamy pumpkin filling and butter sauce for this recipe.

  • a stand mixer with bowl and dough hooks
  • a pasta machine or stand mixer pasta attachment or rolling pin
  • a pasta strainer or slotted spoon
  • a large pot for cooking the pasta
  • a medium skillet or saucepan
  • a sharp knife
  • a cutting board
  • several baking sheets
  • an oven-safe baking dish
  • a masher

Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe

  • Fresh pumpkin (600 grams) –  peeled, sliced and baked to creamy perfection. You can use a butternut squash or really any type of pumpkin, the important thing is to cook it until very soft and to remove any excess water. You can even use canned pumpkin puree if it isn’t pumpkin season when you decide you want to try this ravioli dish.
  • Parmigiano Reggiano (150 grams) – freshly grated cheese is key to getting the right consistency for your pumpkin filling. You can substitute with grated Parmesan cheese or grated Grana Padano cheese, as desired.
  • Amaretti cookies (150 grams) – you will need the small, hard amaretti cookies (as opposed to the larger, chewier version of the cookie). They will need to be crushed either by hand or by pulsing in a blender.
  • Eggs (1 + 4 for the pasta) – for the filling, you need to beat the egg lightly with a fork and then remember to use only a spoonful at a time and only until your filling becomes creamy, don’t add too much or it will become runny.
  • Sweet and sour preserved apples (50 g) or any kind of Italian mostarda, finely chopped. Mostarda is a hard-to-find zesty condiment made with candied fruit infused with a little mustard extract. There are different types of mostarda, ranging from whole fruit, mixed fruit and a single fruit, like quince or pear.
  • Nutmeg – you can freshly grate nutmeg or use nutmeg powder, either works great.
  • Sea salt – you will need coarse kosher salt to add to the salted water and also fine sea salt to flavor the recipe.
  • Black pepper – freshly ground, to taste.
  • All-purpose flour (400 grams) – you can use Italian “00” pasta or all-purpose flour to make your fresh pasta.
  • Unsalted butter (1 stick) – to make a delicious sage butter sauce, you don’t need much. We recommend unsalted butter, but salted butter is fine too for this simple sauce.
  • Fresh sage (4 leaves) – you just need a few sage leaves to create the heavenly aroma of browning butter sauce and sage. The sage can be chopped or left whole and can be eaten or removed, according to your personal preferences.

How to make pumpkin ravioli from scratch, step by step

To make the pasta:

  1. On a flat surface make a mound with the flour and then create a hole in the center like a volcano.
  2. Add the salt and eggs into the center of the volcano and then slowly start to mix the flour into the eggs with a fork. Mix with a fork until the eggs have been incorporated and then begin to knead the dough by hand.
  3. Press and fold over and over, kneading the dough until it is smooth and uniform. You can add a little more flour if the dough is sticking to your hands, but don’t add too much.
  4. When you have kneaded for about five minutes, shape into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  5. After resting, cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Take one and flatten it into a rectangular shape with the palm of your hand and add a little flour to both sides.
  6. Using a pasta attachment on your stand mixer or a pasta machine set it to #1, or the thickest setting, and run the dough through. While still on #1, fold the dough in half and put the dough through again.
  7. Add a small amount of flour to each side of the dough, change the setting to #2 and pass the dough through twice. Next change the setting to #3 and pass the dough through twice. Then pass the pasta through one time each on #4, then #5 and finally on #6. The pasta should be a long rectangle shape and very thin.
  8. Add more flour to each side of your long pasta strip and set it aside. Repeat until all the pasta is ready and let it rest for a few minutes on a floured surface.
  9. Take one large strip of pasta and lay it out flat. Put a heaping teaspoon of pumpkin egg mixture (see instructions below to create the filling) every 3 inches or so. Brush water around the edges of the pasta and between the filling and close the pasta on itself by folding in half lengthwise.
  10. Cut the ravioli with a sharp knife (or ravioli cutter) to separate them from each other and gently press the sides of each to seal each individual ravioli completely. Place all the ravioli on a parchment paper and cover with a tea towel until ready to cook.
  11. Bring a pot of water to boil and add coarse salt. Add the homemade ravioli to the boiling water to cook for several minutes, until they float, and then remove them with a hand-held pasta strainer or slotted spoon, gently transferring them directly to the saucepan as described below and then gently tossing them with the sauce.

For the pumpkin mixture:

  1. First remove the pumpkin rind, cut into strips and bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 200 C, or until very soft.
  2. Mash the cooked pumpkin with a fork or masher until very smooth. Then add the minced preserved fruit, the crushed Amaretti cookies, a pinch of nutmeg and the Parmesan cheese to the mixture and stir.
  3. Now add the beaten egg one small spoonful at a time, mixing well after each spoonful. Only add enough egg until the filling is soft and creamy and then stop. The mixture should be creamy, but not watery, and fairly stiff.

For the butter sauce:

  1. Using a medium saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the sage leaves and simmer for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want brown butter sauce, so make sure it turns a golden brown.
  2. Now add a few tablespoons of the pasta water and stir, adding salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Add the cooked ravioli immediately after cooking and gently stir to coat them with the butter sauce.
  4. Serve immediately while still hot with a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Expert tips

While some recipes call for boiling the pumpkin to cook it for the filling, we highly recommend baking the pumpkin instead. Boiling the pumpkin will produce a filling that is too watery and runny, making the ravioli hard to seal and impossible to cook without them falling apart. By baking the pumpkin, most of the water evaporates and you also get a more intense, sweeter flavor than you would through boiling it.

Variations

There are a few variations you can make of pumpkin ravioli. One of our favorites is using fresh ricotta cheese that has been drained very well and adding it to the pumpkin mixture for an even creamier taste.

Another variation is to skip the butter sauce and just add a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top of the cooked pasta and serving right away.

Some recipes call for wonton wrappers instead of making the pasta from scratch. While they won’t taste like fresh homemade pasta, they are an alternative to consider if you are squeezed for time.

FAQs

How to store and reheat already cooked pumpkin ravioli

You can place leftover pumpkin ravioli that has already been cooked in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 1-3 days. Reheat by heating oil or butter in a skillet and warming the pumpkin ravioli over low heat. You can even add a small amount of water so that they don’t burn or stick to the bottom when reheating and get warm all the way through.

How long with pumpkin ravioli keep in the fridge or freezer?

You can store uncooked pumpkin ravioli directly in the fridge in an airtight container (not touching each other) for up to 4 days and then cook in boiling water and serve with sauce.

If you prefer to freeze for later use, you can place uncooked pumpkin ravioli on a flat baking sheet or plastic plates and freeze in the freezer. When they are frozen, move them to a container or freezer bag and store for up to 4 months. When you want to use them, put the frozen ravioli directly into hot water and cook as indicated.

Tortelli di Zucca Pumpkin tortelli ravioli recipe

Tortelli di zucca – homemade pumpkin ravioli

If you are a fan of contrasts, this sweet yet savory ravioli that even includes almond cookies as one of the ingredients is the perfect dish to wow your senses.
5 from 6 votes
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Course: Pasta
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 526kcal

Ingredients

For pumpkin Filling

  • 600 grams pumpkin peeled, sliced and baked
  • 150 grams Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
  • 150 grams crushed Amaretti cookies the small, hard variety
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 50 g sweet and sour preserved apples or any kind of Italian mostarda* finely chopped
  • a pinch of nutmeg freshly grated
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For Fresh Pasta

  • 400 grams “00” flour or all purpose flour
  • 4 extra large eggs
  • a pinch of sea salt to taste

For the butter and sage sauce

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 4 leaves of fresh sage
  • a pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 cup pasta water set aside

Instructions

For Fresh Pasta

  • On a flat surface make a mound with the flour and then create a hole in the center like a volcano.
  • Add the salt and eggs into the center of the mound and then, with a fork, slowly start to mix the flour into the eggs. Mix with a fork until the eggs and flour are mixed well and then begin to knead the dough by hand.
  • Press and fold over and over, kneading the dough until it is smooth and uniform. You can add a little more flour if the dough is sticking to your hands, but don't add too much.
  • When you have kneaded for about five minutes, shape into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  • Once rested, cut the dough into 1-inch pieces and flatten the first into a rectangular shape with the palm of your hand and add a little flour to both sides.
  • Attach the pasta attachment to your stand mixer, or use a pasta machine or rolling pin, and set it to #1, or the thickest setting, and run the dough through. While still on #1, fold the dough in half and put the dough through again.
  • Adding a little bit of flour on each side of the dough, change the setting to #2 and pass the pasta dough through twice. Now change the setting to #3 and pass the pasta dough through twice again. Then pass the pasta through one time each on #4, then #5 and finally on #6. The pasta should be a very thin, long rectangle.
  • Add flour to each side of your long pasta sheet and set it aside. Repeat until you have done all the pasta and have all the long pasta dough sheets ready. Let them rest for a few minutes.
  • Take one large strip of pasta and lay it out flat. Starting from one side, put a heaping teaspoon of pumpkin mixture (see instructions below to create the filling) every 3 inches or so. Brush water around the edges of the pasta and between the filling and close the pasta on itself by folding in half lengthwise.
  • Cut the ravioli with a ravioli cutter or knife to separate them from each other and gently pinch the sides of each to seal them. Place all the ravioli on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a tea towel.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add coarse salt. When boiling, add the homemade ravioli to cook for just a few minutes until they float (they should be al dente), and then remove gently with a hand-held pasta strainer or slotted spoon and add directly to the saucepan as described below.

For the tortelli filling

  • Remove the pumpkin rind, slice the flesh into strips and bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 200 C, or until very soft.
  • Smash the cooked pumpkin with a fork or masher until very smooth. Then add the minced preserved fruit, the finely crushed Amaretti cookies, a pinch of nutmeg and the Parmigiano to the mixture and stir until creamy.
  • Now add the beaten egg one small spoonful at a time, mixing well. Only add enough egg until the ravioli filling is soft and creamy and then stop. The mixture should be creamy, but not watery, and fairly stiff.

For the butter and sage sauce

  • In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat and then add the sage leaves and simmer for 4 minutes, stirring often. Browned butter is fine, but don’t let it burn.
  • Now add a few tablespoons of the pasta water and stir, adding salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add ravioli immediately after cooking and gently stir to coat them with the sauce.
  • Serve immediately while still hot with grated Parmesan cheese or better yet Parmigiano Reggiano on top.

Notes

How to store and reheat already cooked pumpkin ravioli

You can place leftover pumpkin ravioli that has already been cooked in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 1-3 days. Reheat by heating oil or butter in a skillet and warming the pumpkin ravioli over low heat. You can even add a small amount of water so that they don’t burn or stick to the bottom when reheating and get warm all the way through.

How long with pumpkin ravioli keep in the fridge or freezer?

You can store uncooked pumpkin ravioli directly in the fridge in an airtight container (not touching each other) for up to 4 days and then cook in boiling water and serve with sauce.
If you prefer to freeze for later use, you can place uncooked pumpkin ravioli on a flat baking sheet or plastic plates and freeze in the freezer. When they are frozen, move them to a container or freezer bag and store for up to 4 months. When you want to use them, put the frozen ravioli directly into hot water and cook as indicated.
Serving: 180g | Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 8911IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 349mg | Iron: 5mg
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