Ravioli with butternut squash and sage

SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS

For the filling

● 500g butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded, chopped into small pieces

● 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

● Sea salt flakes and freshly milled black pepper

● 1 small red onion, finely chopped

● Small handful of fresh sage leaves, torn

● 25g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve

● Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

For the pasta

● 300g “00” grade flour, plus extra for dusting

● 3 large free-range eggs

● 1 tsp salt

For the garnish

● 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

● A few fresh sage leaves

● 2 tbsp pine nuts

● Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºc/180ºc fan/gas mark 6.

2. For the filling, place the butternut squash pieces onto a roasting tray, drizzle with the olive oil, and season generously with sea salt and freshly milled pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender.

3. Once the butternut squash has roasted, sprinkle over the onion and torn sage leaves and continue to roast for a further 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, blend the warm vegetables to a thick, smooth purée using a handheld blender. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes. Once cooled, stir in the grated cheese and a little grated nutmeg.

6. For the pasta, combine the flour and eggs in a food processor until the ingredients form a dough.

7. Continue to pulse for a further minute.

8. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 10 minutes, until it is stretchy and has a slight sheen to it. Divide the dough into four portions and wrap each one in cling film. Allow to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

9. When the pasta dough has chilled, take the first portion and roll it thinly (1mm thickness) on a lightly floured work surface. Dust the dough with a little extra flour if it starts to get sticky.

10. You need the surface area of the rolled-out dough to yield 12 squares, each about 7cm across.

11. Using a ravioli cutter, mark 12 squares on the sheet of pasta dough without cutting through the dough.

12. Repeat the rolling-out process with the second portion of pasta dough.

Set aside carefully.

13. Divide the cooled filling mixture in half and place one heaped teaspoon into the centre of each marked pasta square.

14. Brush the dough surrounding the filling with a little cold water.

15. Once all of the squares have been filled, lift the second sheet of pasta dough and drape it over the first, carefully smoothing the pasta around the filling.

16. Remove any air bubbles and stick the moistened sheets of pasta together with your fingertips. Stamp out the ravioli, ensuring the filling is kept as central as possible.

17. Dust a baking tray with a little flour and place the ravioli pieces carefully on the prepared baking tray. Set aside until needed.

18. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients to make 12 more ravioli.

19. For the garnish, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the sage leaves and fry for 10-15 seconds, or until they look translucent. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen roll.

20. Return the pan to the heat and add the pine nuts. Fry for 20 seconds.

21. Remove from the heat and set aside on a separate plate.

22. To cook the ravioli, bring a large saucepan of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to the boil.

23. Carefully lower the ravioli into it, in batches if necessary, using a slotted spoon. Boil for 3-4 minutes, until cooked. Once cooked, carefully drain the ravioli in a colander.

24. To serve, divide the ravioli among four warmed plates. Drizzle with olive oil, spoon over the pine nuts, garnish with the fried sage leaves, a sprinkle of Parmesan and sea salt, plus a twist of black pepper.