Ahh Ravioli. One of the most loved dishes of Italy!
Little pockets of fresh pasta filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables served in a variety of sweet, spicy, and savory sauces.
Ravioli have been enjoyed in Italy since the 14th century. At the court of the Gonzagues, stuffed pasta was offered to noble visitors as a royal treat!
But what about the Italian Christmas Eve classic, Ravioli di Zucca (Squash Ravioli)?
Well, it all started when farmers began growing squash in Northern Italy after it was brought back by explorers from South and Central America. The Italian nobility quickly became enamored with this vegetable curiosity, and by the 16th century, it was widely eaten in several of Italy’s northern cities.
Then in 1584, Giovanni Battista Rosetti, a nobleman and scholar from Florence, had the idea of putting this trendy new vegetable inside a pocket of fresh pasta! In his recipe, he featured ginger and cinnamon, highlighting the dishes now signature sweet-savory characteristics.
What started with a Florentine scholar’s love of a then-unique combination of flavors has inspired countless sweet-savory pasta recipes throughout Italy. In Bergamo, there is now a pasta stuffed with meat and pears! The success of these recipes always depends on the right balance of ingredients; just enough sweetness to highlight the dish's savory elements, without overpowering the dish.
But back to Ravioli di Zucca. Our chef created this delizioso Ravioli di Zucca recipe with inspiration from Northern Italy where this dish is made with a secret ingredient: amaretti biscuits!
We hope you enjoy making (and eating!) Ravioli di Zucca in your home, just as our family will be here in Italy this Christmas.
Classico & Riserva Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to taste
Handful Of Sage Leaves
1 ¼ Cups Flour
2 Eggs
Grated Parmigiano, to taste
Nutmeg, To taste
Salt
Pepper
4 Amaretti Biscuits
Directions
Preheat the oven to 395 degrees. In the meantime, carefully slice your squash in half, using both halves if it is small or only one half if it is a bigger squash.
Scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with Classico extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt, adding a couple of sage leaves.
Flip the squash around - so that it faces cut side down - and roast for 30 minutes or until tender.
While the squash roasts, prepare the fresh pasta dough. Pour the flour onto a clean wooden surface and make a well in the middle. Crack the eggs into the well, one at a time, and add a couple of tablespoons of Classico extra virgin olive oil.
Whisk the eggs and olive oil together, slowly incorporating the flour.
Once the dough is too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading it with your hands. After a couple of minutes, you should achieve a smooth and elastic ball of dough. Add more Classico extra virgin olive oil if the dough is too dry and more flour if it is too wet. Place the dough to rest in plastic wrap for 30 minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven and leave it to cool down on the side. When it is cool enough to be handled, remove the pulp using a spoon and place it in a large bowl.
Add the grated Parmigiano, nutmeg, black pepper, and crumbled amaretti biscuits to taste, along with two or three tablespoons of Classico extra virgin olive oil.
Combine everything using a fork, or your hands, to break down all the lumps. Add more Parmigiano if the mix is too wet. Taste and adjust accordingly with more spices or cheese.
Slice a chunk off of the dough and roll it through a pasta machine until you reach the thinnest level, cutting the sheet of pasta in half if it becomes too long to handle (you can also use a rolling pin).
Lay the pasta flat onto the wooden surface and add the squash filling, one heaped teaspoon at a time, keeping two finger’s distance between each heap.
Cover the dough and filling with the second sheet of pasta and carefully press the dough around the filling in order to seal it, making sure no air is trapped.
Using a ravioli cutter (or a cookie cutter), shape the individual ravioli, separating them from the rest of the dough and placing them to the side. Repeat with the rest of the filling and dough.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, adding a tablespoon of rock salt. Carefully drop the ravioli into the water, one at a time.
As the pasta cooks, pour four tablespoons of Classico extra virgin olive oil into a non-stick pan along with a handful of fresh sage leaves. Sauté over a medium flame until the olive oil is fragrant.
After 4 or 5 minutes of cooking, take out the ravioli using a slotted spoon. Place them into the pan, carefully turning them around in the olive oil and sage.
Place as many ravioli as you like on each serving plate and top with a drizzle of Riserva extra virgin olive oil, grated Parmigiano cheese, a sprinkle of pepper, and a crumble of amaretti biscuit!
If there are leftover ravioli, store them uncooked in the freezer for up to one month. When you’re ready to cook them, drop them in a pot of boiling water directly from the freezer, without letting the ravioli defrost.
