Today is Day 4 of our One Month Grocery Shopping Strike.

For dinner tonight, I’m making Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Tomato Sauce from scratch…except for the won-ton wrappers I’m using from our freezer as the ravioli pasta dough.

This squash recipe is a little involved, but well worth the work – it is absolutely amazing, healthy & even vegetarian…Probably my family’s favorite meal of the year thus far!

You may be worried that this is not a complete meal because of the seemingly missing protein component as I don’t even use eggs to bind and firm up the ravioli stuffing, but don’t worry – I have that covered.

This is a fabulous, nutritious meal that is so flavorful, there won’t be ANY for leftovers.

Type: Pasta Recipe
Serve With: Tomato Sauce and fresh, crusty Italian bread
Prep Time: ~ 30 minutes
Cook Time:  30 minute roast time, 10 minute boil time
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 whole, fresh butternut squash – peeled, cubed and hollowed
• 1/2 package of won-ton wrappers – available in your refrigerated produce section of your grocer
• 1 head of garlic
• 1/2 package tofu – any firmness
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg – freshly grated is best
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• freshly cracked black pepper – to taste
• 1 tbsp sea salt + to taste in filling
• all-purpose flour – for dusting

* Tip: Be sure you keep the insides so you can roast the squash seeds!

Instructions to Roast Butternut Squash:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Peel butternut squash, cut in half and scrape out pulpy insides (set seeds aside to roast, if desired).
3. Cut into 2″ chunks and coat with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper.
4. Lightly oil a cookie sheet or spray with non-stick spray, and evenly distribute squash on cookie sheet.
5. Cut head off garlic just far enough down to open each clove with your cut. Place bottom on a small piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with about 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper. Replace top of garlic and close foil up at the top of the head of garlic. Place on cookie sheet with squash.
6. Roast squash in oven for about 30 minutes or until lightly brown.

Instructions to Make Ravioli Filling:

1. In a large flat-bottomed bowl, combine roasted squash, tofu, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, freshly cracked black pepper & sea salt. Squeeze roasted garlic into bowl.
2. Mash with a potato masher until ingredients are smooth and evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Instructions for Assembling Ravioli:

1. On a flat, dry surface (like a clean counter-top or cutting board) lightly dusted with flour, place one won-ton wrapper down.
2. Place about a heaping teaspoon of roasted butternut squash mixture in middle of won-ton wrapper.
3. With a pastry brush or your clean finger, lightly dampen each edge with water.
4. Fold one half of the wrapper over evenly to the other side onto itself, taking care not to have stuffing touch edges.
5. Firmly press edges together until they are sealed.
6. Place ravioli on a cookie sheet dusted with flour and repeat until stuffing and/or won-ton wrappers are all used up.

* Tip: Take care not to over-fill ravioli as they will burst open in water and fall apart. It is better to slightly under-fill them, if you’re questioning yourself.

Instructions for Cooking Ravioli:

1. In a large stock pot, bring 3/4 pot of water to a boil with bay leaf and 1 tbsp sea salt.
2. Once the water is boiling, add about half of the ravioli, one-by-one, to the water. The water will decrease in temperature and come down from a boil. Keep the water on high heat.
3. Once the water comes back up to a simmer, allow ravioli to simmer for about 1 minute longer or until they are floating at top.
4. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, gently remove ravioli to the serving bowl and cover in half of your sauce. In this instance, I used homemade tomato sauce that we had canned in our fruit cellar from the summertime.
5. Repeat with 2nd batch of ravioli.

* Tip: A great alternative to tomato sauce is a brown butter and sage sauce.

Either top entire family-style serving bowl of ravioli with Parmesan cheese and/or chili flakes or allow your family & friends to do so themselves.

Serve with fresh, crusty Italian bread and enjoy! This recipe is a winner…Trust me!

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I hope you enjoyed this Vegetarian Recipe on Cooking with Kimberly! Until next time…

Eat Deliciously,

Kimberly Edwards 🙂

P.S. Be sure to check out the Cooking with Kimberly Store!