Remember I told you about a Magical Dinner Fit For a King and Queen that our friends, David and Michelle, were sweet enough to spoil us with?  David sent the recipes over and below is the first one, which was our melt-in-your-mouth appetizer.  The whole meal was amazing, but this dish might have been my favorite.

Over a glass of wine we basked in the garlic and sage aroma as it cooked, and the anticipation was part of the fun.  Look at the presentation, isn't it mouthwatering?  Each bite made us ooh and ahh.  The crispy fried edges, the creamy, slightly sweet center, the buttery light brown sage sauce with just a teeny hint of a bite, the fresh Parmesan on top to add a touch more perfection.  OK, I've gotta go to the store to get the stuff to make this NOW…

I wonder if they'll be as dreamy with the wonton wrappers that David mentions below.  He made
homemade ravioli from scratch with their pasta maker.  Does anyone have a pasta maker that you like?

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mashed, cooked butternut squash
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• Chopped fresh sage to taste
• 1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
• Make your own pasta or you can use wonton wrappers

Instructions:

Place cooked squash into a mixing bowl.  Add sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir in mascarpone cheese, egg yolk, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, mixing until the filling is smoothly combined.

If making your own pasta, roll out dough very thin or use a pasta maker.  Brush pasta with an egg wash, then put about 1  1/2 teaspoons of butternut mixture on the dough.  Cover and cut with a pasta cutter.  Repeat to make as many ravioli as you need.

If using Wonton wrappers, wet the tip of a finger in water and run it all along the outer edge of the wonton skin to moisten. Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton. Fold the wonton in half to make a half-moon shape, and press the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers.

Place a deep skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in butter, sage and garlic.  Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.  Drop the filled raviolis into the boiling water, a few at a time, and cook until they float to the top, about 2 minutes. Drain the raviolis, and transfer them to the skillet. Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium-high, and cook just until the raviolis are infused with garlic flavor, about 2 or 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with chopped sage, more black pepper, and extra Parmesan cheese to taste.

Thank you again David and Michelle!  Watch for the other recipes from our dinner soon.  

Note from Kelly (after I made this myself):  I used a lot of garlic and didn't chop it small, but cut it into smaller hunks and roasted them along with the sage.  Wow, I loved how the sage and garlic got crisp-roasted as the ravioli was frying.  Next time I'll use two bunches of sage instead of one because I was a maniac going after those pieces of roasted sage.  🙂

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