Acorn Squash Ravioli

Acorn Squash Ravioli, with a hint of amaretto from the cookie crumbs, is a great precursor to a porchetta dinner.  Place four or five on a appetizer dish topped with a light mushroom sauce and sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley.  Yum!

• ½ cornmeal
• 2 acorn squash, seeded and roasted
• 2/3 c parmesan cheese
• 2 egg yolks, separated
• 4 oz amaretto cookie crumbs
• ¼ c ricotta salata
• salt and pepper to taste
• homemade pasta dough

Scatter cornmeal on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

Scrape roasted squash from its flesh into a medium bowl.  Add parmesan, yolks, cookie crumbs and ricotta and mix well.

Roll out pasta into sheets and place a teaspoon of filling on upper half of rectangle in two inch intervals.  Fold over the dough, pressing in between mounds and cut with a ravioli cutter.   Press all edges to seal and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bring large pot of water to a boil, add ravioli.  Stir gently.  When the ravioli rise to the top, drain and top with sauce of preference.    I included a mushroom sauce below which is very good with acorn squash ravioli.

Mushroom Sauce

• ¼ c butter 12 oz porcini mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ t salt ¼ t pepper

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and place over ravioli.