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Pumpkin Ricotta Ravioli in Thyme and Brown Butter Sauce

This pumpkin ricotta ravioli features silky pasta pockets filled with a creamy pumpkin and spinach filling. It’s finished with brown butter and thyme sauce.

This pumpkin ravioli recipe takes a bit of time to prepare but making your own pasta is fun and a labor of love!

These ravioli are tender and light and so delicious, especially when drizzled with thyme and brown butter sauce.

a plate of ravioli.

Homemade pasta

Making homemade pasta is one of my favorite things to do. It’s extremely satisfying watching just eggs and flour come together and form a strong yet silky thin dough. This pasta is using whole eggs.

Many egg-based fresh pasta doughs use just egg yolks which creates a more tender pasta. That being said, the number of egg yolks needed to create the liquid to bind the dough can be excessive. It’s easier and cheaper to use whole eggs and it still tastes great!

I love that when pasta dough is raw and rolled out, the gluten in it makes it extremely flexible and strong. Yet when it’s cooked to the perfect ‘al dente’ texture, it becomes soft and delicate with only a touch of bite.

a fork with a ravioli.

The pasta flour

The ideal flour for this egg dough is a tipu 00 flour. This is a very finely ground Italian flour made from soft wheat or durum wheat. It’s extremely fine and doesn’t need as much liquid to bring it together as all-purpose flour does.

It’s ideal for egg-based pasta dough and it creates a smooth, consistent dough with a great texture. If you can’t find this flour, it can easily be substituted with all-purpose flour, though this will create a slightly chewier pasta.

If using all-purpose flour you will likely need to add a splash of water to the dough to combine it.

hand whisking eggs in flour.

The filling

Ravioli are such a great pasta to personalize and tailor to what’s in season, or what you like.

This pumpkin ricotta ravioli is perfect for cooler weather. It has a creamy pumpkin filling, with pumpkin puree, fresh spinach, ricotta, parmesan, and a little nutmeg.

The sauce

The ravioli is finished off with two sauces. The first is a simple emulsion of pasta water mixed with butter, garlic, and thyme. The second is a delicious brown butter sauce with more fresh thyme. The thyme can also be substituted for fresh sage leaves, to make a butter sage sauce.

Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette is simply butter that has melted, and then cooked a step further so that the milk solids in the butter caramelize. This gives a rich, nutty flavor to the butter.

brown butter and thyme.

Equipment

Pasta machine -You will need a pasta maker to roll the pasta. It’s possible to roll it using a rolling pin but the amount of elbow grease required for that is a lot, so if you can use a pasta machine, do so! The pasta needs to be rolled many times to remove as much air in the dough as possible until it’s silky and thin.

Food processor – A food processor is used to blend the pumpkin puree and slightly whip the ricotta cheese.

Making the pasta

On a work surface, place your flour into a mound and make a large well in the middle. The walls of this well will act as a barricade to the eggs. Crack the eggs into a bowl and use a fork to gently mix them a bit.

Tip half the eggs into the middle of the well and use a fork to begin whisking them up, incorporating a little flour from around the edges into the eggs. Continue by adding the rest of the eggs.

The eggs may escape from their barricade. Use a bench scraper to gather them back in the middle of the dough. Keep mixing until a dough forms. It will feel a bit sticky.

hand whisking eggs in flour.

Knead it on the bench to create a smooth dough, dusting with flour if it feels too sticky. If the dough feels very dry and crumbly you can add a splash of water as needed. Knead the dough for around 6-8 minutes until smooth.

After this kneading process, wrap the ball of dough in compostable plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap and let it rest on the bench for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

At this point, the dough can also be refrigerated for when you need it – up to 24 hours.

a hand holding pasta dough.

Making the filling

You’ll need around 2 cups of pumpkin puree or squash puree for this ravioli. The pumpkin can be roasted in the oven, as explained in this post. If you don’t have an oven, see how to make pumpkin puree without an oven.

Slice the pumpkin or squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Roast in the oven until fork-tender, then let it cool for 10 minutes. Scoop the flesh from the skin and add to a food processor.

Blend it until it’s smooth.

If your pumpkin is very watery, it will benefit from being drained, or else the pasta filling will be too watery. Scoop the puree into a cheesecloth balanced over a bowl. cover the top with baking paper and balance a plate on top. This will push out the excess moisture in the puree. Let it sit for around 30-60 minutes to drain.

Roughly chop the spinach and add it to the food processor along with the pumpkin puree, ricotta, nutmeg, and parmesan. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place the filling in the fridge while you roll the pasta.

Rolling the pasta

Dust a work surface with flour. Take the pasta dough and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Take one piece at a time and roll it out slightly with a rolling pin so you can feed it through the thickest setting of the pasta machine. Feed it through the pasta machine, then fold the pasta sheet into thirds and feed it through again.

Decrease the setting size on the pasta machine and feed the dough through it again. Decrease the setting again and repeat. If the pasta becomes sticky, dust it with flour as you roll it.

Roll the pasta until it is just under 1.5mm thick (1/16th of an inch.) On the kitchen aid pasta machine this is setting #5.

Lay the finished sheets on a lightly floured work surface or tray. Continue with the rest of the dough.

pasta going through pasta machine.

Shaping the pasta

On a lightly floured work surface, lay your sheets of pasta dough. Cut off any uneven edges, Use a teaspoon to place little mounds of filling on the sheet, spaced around 4cm/2inches apart.

Brush the edges around the filling with water, then place a second sheet of pasta over the top.

Use your fingers to gently press around each mound of filling to seal the two pasta sheets together. Use a knife or a pizza/pastry cutter to cut the ravioli into individual pieces. You could also use a cookie cutter.

This will help seal the outer edges of the dough. Place the finished ravioli on a lightly floured board or tray.

filled ravioli.

Repeat with the remaining pasta sheets and filling.

Place the finished ravioli, uncovered in the refrigerator for around 30 minutes to an hour, to slightly dry out.

Cooking

When ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Brown butter

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add half butter. Let the butter melt completely. Avoid using a dark pan as you will struggle to see the caramelization of the butter and run the risk of burning it.

Once melted, let it cook further for around 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the milk solids in the butter have caramelized into a deep amber color and the butter smells toasty. Remove from the heat and let it cool for a minute, then add in fresh thyme. Set this aside.

Cooking ravioli

Once the water is boiling, add salt and the ravioli to the boiling water. Lower the heat to medium and simmer the ravioli gently for around 4-5 minutes until tender.

Butter emulsion

While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over low heat. Add in around 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, crushed garlic, thyme, and the remaining butter.

Stir to combine the two into a sauce and cook for a minute or two. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked pasta from the water and add them to the pan. Gently swirl the pan to coat the pasta with butter and water. If it gets too dry, add in a little more pasta water.

ravioli in butter.

Serving

Serve the pasta hot, and drizzle with the browned thyme butter. Add on a crack of black pepper and salt to taste and extra parmesan.

spoon drizzling butter.
spoon drizzling butter.

Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli in Thyme and Garlic Butter Sauce

Yield: 4 people
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Silky pasta pockets filled with a creamy pumpkin and spinach filling. Topped off with a thyme and brown butter sauce.

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 400g type 00 flour or all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs

Filling

  • 230g (1 cup) pumpkin puree
  • 190g (3/4 cup) ricotta cheese
  • 25g (1/4 cup) finely grated parmesan
  • 40g (1 packed cup) fresh spinach
  • 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Toppings

  • 113g salted butter
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • 3 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • Salt and pepper
  • Parmesan

Instructions

  1. On a work surface, place your flour into a mound and make a large well in the middle. The walls of this well will act as a barricade to the eggs. Crack the eggs into a bowl and use a fork to gently mix them a bit.
  2. Tip half the eggs into the middle of the well and use a fork to begin whisking them up, incorporating a little flour from around the edges into the eggs. Continue by adding the rest of the eggs. The eggs may escape from their barricade. Use a bench scraper to gather them back in the middle of the dough. Keep mixing until a dough forms.
  3. Knead it on the bench to create a smooth dough, dusting with flour if it feels too sticky. If the dough feels very dry and crumbly you can add a splash of water as needed. Knead the dough for around 6-8 minutes until smooth.
  4. After this kneading process, wrap the ball of dough in compostable plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap and let it rest on the bench for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten. At this point, the dough can also be refrigerated for when you need it - up to 24 hours.

The filling

  1. In a food processor blend together the pumpkin puree, ricotta, spinach, parmesan, and nutmeg until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper according to taste. Refrigerate until needed.

Rolling the pasta

  1. Dust a work surface with flour. Take the pasta dough and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Take one piece at a time and roll it out slightly with a rolling pin so you can feed it through the thickest setting of the pasta machine. Feed it through the pasta machine, then fold the pasta sheet into thirds and feed it through again.
  2. Decrease the setting size on the pasta machine and feed the dough through it again. Decrease the setting again and repeat. If the pasta becomes sticky, dust it with flour as you roll it.
  3. Roll the pasta until it is just under 1.5mm thick (1/16th of an inch.) On the kitchen aid pasta machine this is setting #5. Lay the finished sheets on a lightly floured work surface or tray. Continue with the rest of the dough.

Shaping

  1. On a lightly floured work surface, lay your sheets of pasta dough. Cut off any uneven edges, Use a teaspoon to place little mounds of filling on the sheet, spaced around 4cm/2inches apart.
  2. Brush the edges around the filling with water, then place a second sheet of pasta over the top.
  3. Use your fingers to gently press around each mound of filling to seal the two pasta sheets together and expel any air trapped. Use a knife or a pizza/pastry cutter to cut the ravioli into individual pieces. You could also use a cookie cutter. This will help seal the outer edges of the dough.
  4. Place the finished ravioli on a lightly floured board or tray. Repeat with the remaining pasta sheets and filling.
  5. Place the finished ravioli in the fridge for around 45 minutes to an hour, to slightly dry out.

Cooking

  1. When ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Brown butter

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add half the butter. Let the butter melt completely. Avoid using a dark pan as you will struggle to see the caramelization of the butter and run the risk of burning it.
  2. Once melted, let it cook further for around 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the milk solids in the butter have caramelized into a deep amber color and the butter smells toasty. Remove from the heat and let it cool for a minute, then add in fresh thyme. Set this aside.

Cooking ravioli

  1. Once the water is boiling, add a generous dash of salt and add the ravioli to the boiling water. Lower the heat to medium and simmer the ravioli gently for around 4-5 minutes until tender.

Butter emulsion

  1. While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over low heat. Add in around ½ cup of pasta cooking water, crushed garlic, thyme, and the remaining butter.
  2. Stir to combine the two into a sauce and let it simmer for a minute or two.
  3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked pasta from the water and add them to the pan. Gently swirl the pan to coat the pasta with butter and water. If it gets too dry, add in a little more pasta water.

Serving

  1. Serve the pasta hot, and drizzle with the browned thyme butter. Add on a crack of black pepper and salt to taste as well as any extra parmesan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 577Total Fat: 27.5gSaturated Fat: 15.9gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 262mgCarbohydrates: 65.4gFiber: 4.1gSugar: 2.7gProtein: 17.5g


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