Recipe of the Month: Butternut Squash Ravioli

If you were following our old blog last spring, you might remember Le Team du Rob, a group of runners who were mentored by elite marathoner Rob Watson. It recently came to our attention that one of those runners was also a heck of a good cook and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to pick up a few new runner-friendly recipes.

And so we re-introduce you to Jason Faber. Jason will be contributing his go-to recipes every few months. (He’s also set to run the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon next week. Good luck Jason!)

by Jason Faber

In training for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, I’m into my tapering and pre-race preparations. Sometimes I get focused on thinking about what I’m going to eat the morning of the race and night before, knowing it can have a significant impact on performance, and forget that the weeks leading up to a big race can also be an essential component of the marathon program.

So, with that in mind, and autumn in full swing, I was thinking about recipes that combined classic fall flavours while still providing me with the nutritional value that I needed. Going back into the vaults, I found this comforting dish that has become a household favourite: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Spiced Pecans. I hope you like it!

Butternut Squash Ravioli
1 butternut squash
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tsp nutmeg
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Homemade pasta (Jason’s homemade pasta recipe)

Sage Browned Butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter
10-12 fresh sage leaves, chopped

Spiced Pecans
t tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of salt
1 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled for garnish

 

Begin my making your homemade pasta as it will take you the most time. Once your noodles have been rolled, start on the butternut squash filling. Preheat the oven to 425F. Halve the squash and remove the seeds. Drizzle in olive oil, and roast the halves cut side up on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for about 25-30 minutes, or until soft.

Scoop out the flesh into a medium sized bowl and mash with a fork. Sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly with the parmesan cheese.

Lay out your pasta noodles on a counter. Using a teaspoon, scoop some mixture and place blobs on the noodle about 1 inch apart. Only lay out mixture half way down your noodle.

Then take the far end of the pasta noodle and fold it back over the mixture blobs. Using a ravioli press, cut the dough around the filling to make your raviolis. Make sure that the sides of your raviolis are pinched together or else they will fall apart when you cook them.

When you’re ready to cook your pasta, boil water in a large pot.

While your water boils, begin making the sauce by melting the 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan until it starts to brown slightly. Add the sage leaves and cook for another 4-5 minutes on low.

Meanwhile, you can start making your pecans. Start by melting the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the sugar, honey and spices, and stir. After about 1 minute add the pecans, and reduce heat to low cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently so that they don’t burn. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Strain the ravioli and toss in the sage browned butter. Garnish with spiced pecans and crumbled goat cheese. Serve to your new best friends with a glass of pinot noir.

You can find Jason’s original post on his blog here. Thanks Jason!

 

Jason Faber is an Ottawa-area marathoner, marketing manager and food blogger. You can find his adventures in running at http://42kms.tumblr.com/. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Faber.