Butternut Squash Ravioli Sage (Print Version)
Homemade ravioli filled with roasted butternut squash and ricotta, served in a sage-infused brown butter sauce.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta Dough
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Filling
04 - 1 medium butternut squash (about 1.5 lbs), peeled and cubed
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Sage Butter Sauce
11 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
12 - 12 fresh sage leaves
13 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ For Serving
14 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
15 - Freshly ground black pepper
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 25–30 minutes until tender and caramelized. Allow to cool slightly.
02 - On a clean surface, mound flour and create a well at the center. Crack in eggs and salt, incorporating flour gradually with a fork. Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
03 - Mash the roasted squash until smooth. Stir in ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper until creamy and well combined. Set aside.
04 - Roll out pasta dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/16 inch. Place small teaspoon-sized mounds of filling approximately 1.5 inches apart on one sheet. Brush surrounding dough with water, cover with another sheet, and press to seal. Cut into individual ravioli shapes and place on a floured surface, covering them with a towel to prevent drying.
05 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook until the butter turns golden brown and the sage crisps, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
06 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook ravioli in batches for 2–3 minutes or until they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer directly to the sage butter sauce. Toss gently to coat. Serve warm, topped with extra grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Homemade ravioli tastes nothing like store-bought, and this filling is forgiving enough that you'll nail it on your first try.
- The sage brown butter sauce does all the heavy lifting, transforming simple pasta into something that feels restaurant-worthy but takes minutes.
- You can make these ahead and freeze them, which means dinner prep becomes an act of self-care on a lazy Wednesday.
02 -
- Ravioli will only stay sealed if you brush water between the dough sheets and press firmly, otherwise they'll open mid-cook and fill will escape into your pasta water.
- Brown butter and sage timing matters more than you'd think, because if you do it too early the sage gets soggy and the butter starts separating, so save it for when ravioli are actually in the water.
- Don't skip resting your pasta dough for 30 minutes, because those few minutes let the gluten relax and make rolling exponentially easier and less frustrating.
03 -
- If your ravioli tear while cooking, it's usually because your dough was too thick or your seal wasn't tight enough, so next time roll thinner and press harder around the filling.
- A pinch of chili flakes in the sage butter adds welcome heat that makes the squash taste even richer, or try a squeeze of fresh lemon juice right at the end for brightness.