Pumpkin Ravioli with Sour Cream Sauce

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 - 
Pumpkin never goes out of season. I know this isn't just my opinion. Others clearly think the same. Examples include:
  • The sheer cry of "OMG, pumpkin spiced lattes are back!" as people enter the stores. Let's be honest though...real fans know the release date...it shouldn't surprise anyone.
  • Getting upset and vocally saying to a server at Cheesecake Factory "what do you mean you don't have pumpkin cheesecake yet? It is September after all!"  Settling for red velvet should never be a crime, but sometimes...
  • Getting concerned that a pumpkin shortage may strike again.
  • Having your husband say, "you talk like pumpkins have feelings." when you express how sad you are that some pumpkin don't get to leave the patch.
Clearly, I'm not saying these are prime examples of my behavior, but this gal does love her squash.

Surprising, being November 28, we still have fresh sage in the herb pot on our porch. Yes, we are the ones who haven't dug up the plants, or dried them for future use. We just let the parsley and sage be fall rock stars to say the least. I've utilized the sage on a weekly basis, not wanting to waste anything. But this projected snow may change all of that. It may be time to let go.Until then, I'll continue with the winter sage.

A classic preparation of pumpkin is pasta. Ravioli to be more specific. Normally, I make a brown butter and sage sauce for the rich ravioli, but this time around I tried something a bit different. We had sour cream in the fridge and I thought, "why not?"

Instructions and Ingredients
  1. Grab a pack of wontons or make your own pasta - whatever you are in the mood for. This time around, I grabbed wontons simply because I had them.
  2. Make or buy pumpkin puree. Take about a cup, add some spices (really, this is up to - think a bit of red pepper flakes, a dash of pepper, etc.) and a few fresh sage leaves chopped up. Simple.
  3. Make the ravioli by spooning about a teaspoon of the filling into a wonton wrapper and folding nicely (or messy - really up to you).
  4. Add ravioli to a boiling pot of salted water and cook until done - a few minutes will be perfect.
  5. While the ravioli are cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add 1/2 a cup of sour cream. Add some garlic powder, pepper and a chopped sage leaf and let it all come together to form a sauce. Serve over pasta, and sprinkle with some Parmesan and fried sage leaves if you'd like.
The pasta filling made around 3 dozen for me. We had some that night, freezed the rest (without the sauce) and had them a different night with leftovers for the next day.  The sauce above is enough for two servings - about a dozen raviolis. Make to your liking and tweak as you feel is appropriate by all means.

And then raise your fist and say "live on pumpkin. Live on."