Recipe: Wonton Walnut Ravioli

My mom got me a subscription to Taste of Home Magazine which I love getting.  It has such a variety of recipes in it that are all pretty realistic to make at home yourself.  Some cooking magazines have recipes that have odd ingredients or way too many ingredients that I would never actually make them.  I have really been wanting to make homemade pasta because I never have before; however, I do not have a stand mixer and many recipes I've seen require a stand mixer.  Then, I came across this recipe and thought this would be great to try!  After making it, I have to say, it took a little bit longer than most dishes I make, but it was DELICIOUS!  My husband LOVED it, he said it was his favorite meal of the year :)  I think after making it more than once, it won't take as long either.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup half and half cream
40 wonton wrappers
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
6 Tbsp. marinara sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tsp. minced fresh sage

First, place squash on a greased baking pan.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring once.  Cool slightly.

Next, place the cream and squash in a food processor and process until pureed.  Spoon 1 Tbsp. of mixture in  the center of a wonton wrapper.  Keep the wrappers covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use.  Moisten edges with egg and top with another wonton wrapper.  Pinch the edges to seal, pressing around filling to remove air pockets.

I luckily had Ross helping me out, because he then attacked the next step.  Get a pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook the ravioli in batches for 30-60 seconds or until they float.  Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm.  I have to say, Ross did a great job with his task!

Last thing you do, place the butter and marinara in a microwave safe boil.  Cover and heat on high for 2 minutes or until heated through.  Stir as needed.  Stir in the walnuts.  Serve atop the ravioli and sprinkle with sage.

I added some crushed red pepper as well, which is always a nice touch, in my opinion.  Overall, this was really easy!  It has a couple steps, but it really wasn't hard at all!  The recipe says that you can buy chopped, fresh butternut squash, but I don't know where it is.  It didn't take that long to peel and chop though.

Like I said before this turned out fantastic!  The sweet, nutty flavor of the squash was a nice complement with the marinara and walnuts and the sage was a great herb to top it off with.  I will definitely be making this again, and I think you could even play around with different spices to add to this, but I really wouldn't change a thing!
~Kate

P.S.  I have to say for Ross....who loves palindromes, "Wonton, notnow"