Fill my homemade ravioli dough or store-bought wonton wrappers with this oh-so-good roasted butternut squash ravioli filling. Drizzled with this golden brown butter sage sauce and you have a festive fall dinner or side dish for the holidays.
No matter what you fill it with, ravioli is universally loved. Whether your plate is heaped with a classic ricotta cheese ravioli or a beefy meat variety, ravioli is a party pleaser for the whole family. And this roasted butternut squash ravioli filling recipe will be leading the whole lineup.
Jump to:
- Why Butternut Squash Makes A Great Ravioli Filling
- What goes with butternut squash
- Gather your ingredients
- …before you get started...
- How to Make Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Prep Step | Tips to Make Ravioli that Doesn’t Burst
- My fav ravioli cutting tools
- How to Fill and Seal Ravioli (without any air pockets!)
- Make Browned Butter and Sage Sauce
- How long to cook homemade butternut squash ravioli
- Fresh Ravioli Cooking Time
- Ravioli Cooking Tips
- FAQ's
- Serving, Storage & Freezing Tips
- 📖 Recipe
Why Butternut Squash Makes A Great Ravioli Filling
Don’t be fooled by that tough exterior. Butternut squash has an lovely orange interior that when roasted makes any plate pop.
And it’s got a lot more going for it:
- Flavor. Butternut squash is a flavor team player that adds both sweetness and savoriness as this Italian squash and cheese crostata shows.
- Texture. Creamy and smooth as showcased in this spicy hummus recipe.
- Seasonally Festive. Butternut squash greets the seasons like in this amazing fall salad recipe.
- Pretty. Cut open one of these butternut squash ravioli and see why it’s almost too pretty to eat!
What goes with butternut squash
- Sweet spices. Think of butternut squash like pumpkin. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice bring out the best in butternut squash.
- Warm Spice. Cumin. Cayenne. Paprika
- Herbs and aromatics. Oregano, thyme, and of course sage!
- Maple. Roasted butternut squash would be so good added to this overnight breakfast casserole!
- Savory ingredients. Garlic, onion, carrots, balsamic vinegar, goat cheese.
- Sweet ingredients. Apples, figs, raisins.
Gather your ingredients
Here’s all you need to make this butternut squash ravioli filling.
- Ravioli dough. Whip up a batch of this homemade ravioli dough recipe. It's so easy and makes the best ravioli!
- Butternut squash. I buy mine precut from Costco or Trader Joe’s but you can cut your own butternut squash as well (instructions below and in the recipe card).
- Ricotta. I’m a big fan of how creamy whole milk ricotta is but part-skim works great too.
- Seasonings. Sage, kosher salt, onion.
See recipe card for quantities.
…before you get started...
Making ravioli is like any skill…you need a little practice. The first time may not have the prettiest results but you’ll learn something and it’ll taste really good, I promise! Follow along on my homemade ravioli dough recipe for all the tips for an amazing homemade butternut squash ravioli.
How to Make Butternut Squash Ravioli
While it sounds intimidating, making your own butternut squash filling for ravioli is super simple!
Follow these easy steps to ravioli heaven!
- Saute onions, sage and garlic in some olive oil. Roast the butternut squash with olive oil and salt and pepper until golden browned and not too crispy [1].
- Add the squash and onions to a food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper [2].
- Add the cheeses and egg and blend [3].
Roasting Tip
Don't overcook the butternut squash when roasting. You don't want any crunchy bits in your creamy filling!
-Josie + Nina
Prep Step | Tips to Make Ravioli that Doesn’t Burst
Here are some tips to making and rolling ravioli that doesn't burst while cooking.
- See through. Whether you’re using a Kitchenaid pasta roller attachment (as I am here) or a hand crank pasta machine (the Marcato Atlas is my favorite), you want a thin enough sheet of dough that you can see the outline of your hand when you hold it up to the light.
- Water. Sealing around each ravioli with water either with your finger or a brush offers added insurance that the ravioli won’t split.
- Sealing tool. A ravioli mold comes with a little roller that simultaneously seals and cuts the ravioli 12 at a time. So cool!
My fav ravioli cutting tools
- Ravioli Mold. I love a good ravioli mold with a roller to fill and cut ravioli (especially this one from Williams-Sonoma),
- Ravioli stamp. This is the ravioli stamp I use although you do need some hand strength to cut the ravioli. And they come in both round and square shapes, small and large. I love the handmade craftiness of a ravioli stamp ♥️
- Pastry wheel. I'm not a fan of "one trick kitchen tools which is why I do love a classic pastry wheel to cut ravioli.
TIP
Mark the dough using the ravioli stamp (loooove this one especially). This will help you to know where to place the filling.
-Josie + Nina
How to Fill and Seal Ravioli (without any air pockets!)
- After rolling out your ravioli dough, space 1 Tablespoon of filling in the center of each marked ravioli. Use a pastry brush or a clean finger to paint water around the outside edge of each ravioli [1].
- Fold over the half of the dough over the filled side [2].
- Use two fingers to pat firmly and gently around the filling sealing the ravioli as you go, brushing the air pockets out at the same time.
- Use a ravioli stamp or crinkled pastry wheel to cut the ravioli. This will also help seal it as well [3].
Make Browned Butter and Sage Sauce
Browned butter sauce is so easy to make!
Here are some step by step instructions and tips!
- Melt butter in a small skillet (I use this 8" All-Clad stainless skillet) and add sage leaves to it. Simmer for about 5-8 minutes on low to immerse the sage in the butter [1].
- Keep cooking and watch carefully. You should get some bubbles around the edges and the butter will turn clearer. The sage will start to "fry" [2].
- Simmer the butter and WATCH CAREFULLY as it will burn quickly. The whole process might take up to 10-15 minutes. It's ok to have little brown bits (as long as they aren't burned) and you can strain them out if you want a clear sauce. [3].
How long to cook homemade butternut squash ravioli
Fresh ravioli cooks way faster than you think.
- Boil some kosher salted water and carefully place the ravioli in with a strainer or individually.
- Allow the water to return to a rolling boil and cook.
Since this a no egg butternut squash ravioli filling, you don't have to worry about cooking it for a certain amount of time. The goal is for the pasta to be cooked.
Ravioli Cooking Tips
- Add ravioli to a large pot of boiling water that has been generously seasoned with kosher salt.
- Once the ravioli float to the top again a second time, cook it in bubbling water for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the ravioli carefully with a chinese spider or large slotted spoon to a warmed bowl.
- Don’t pour ravioli into a strainer as you risk the ravioli breaking.
FAQ's
I don't have time to make homemade ravioli dough today. Can I use something else?
Absolutely! Wonton wrappers are a great alternative. You can usually find them in the refrigerated produce section of your grocery store or an Asian grocer . They are a little more fragile so make sure to fill them less and seal well with my tips and techniques above.
Help! I can’t find pre-cut butternut squash in my local store. Can I roast my own?
Sure thing!
- Very carefully, cut your butternut squash lengthwise from root to stem. TIP: Randomly poke holes into the butternut squash with a fork and then microwave the squash for a minute or two before cutting.
- Scoop out the seeds from the squash.
- Drizzle the squash with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Lay the squash onto a baking sheet cut side down and roast in a 400˚ oven for 30 minutes.
- Cool completely and scoop out the filling
What squash variety is a substitute for butternut squash?
Any winter squash like acorn, butternut, buttercup, delicata works. You also can use kabocha (which is much sweeter than butternut squash) so you’ll want to balance the flavors with savory ingredients like garlic and herbs.
How long should I cook homemade frozen ravioli ?
Same amount of time! 3-5 minutes in boiling, generously salted water.
Serving, Storage & Freezing Tips
Make ravioli the same day you plan to cook it. Lay the ravioli on a floured baking sheet and refrigerated covered with plastic wrap for a few hours
Freeze ravioli. Lay the ravioli on a floured baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until firm. Transfer to a freezer safe plastic bag. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Thaw. No need to thaw before cooking!
📖 Recipe
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lb butternut squash, cubed; I buy at Trader Joe's or Costco
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 sage leaves
- 1 container ricotta
- ½ cup of parmesan
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- lemon juice
For the browned butter sage sauce
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3 sage leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- toasted pine nuts, for garnish
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
For the pasta -Store bought / OPTION #1
- 1 package of wonton wrappers
For the pasta - Homemade ravioli dough / OPTION #2
- 4 cups "00" flour
- 1¼ cups warm water, or more to use as needed
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks, reserve whites for another use like meat ravioli
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the butternut squash filling
- Preheat oven to 400˚.
- On a sheet pan, toss butternut squash topped with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven until golden, about 30 minutes.2 lb butternut squash
- Saute chopped onion in olive oil with the cloves of garlic and three sage leaves in a skillet.1 onion, 3 sage leaves, 3 cloves garlic
- Puree squash, onions, sage and garlic in food processor until smooth.
- Mix in ricotta and seasonings. Taste and correct seasoning to your taste. You want it to have a lot of flavor.1 container ricotta, ½ cup of parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, lemon juice
For the ravioli - if using homemade ravioli dough. If using wonton wrappers, skip to step 3 below.
- Start with ¼ of a recipe of homemade ravioli dough using a pasta machine or Kitchenaid mixer pasta roller attachment. Start at setting #1. Fold each end to the middle and repeat this setting). Continue rolling ravioli up to setting #6. Go as thin as you dare but you should be able to see the outline of your hand through the dough when held up to the light.
- Lay the sheet of pasta dough on a floured board. Use a ruler or ravioli stamp to "mark" one side of the length of the dough. This will help you know where to place the filling.
- Using a clean tablespoon, fill each ravioli with the cheese filling (up to a tablespoon of filling - use your judgement here to at least ½" of a rim).
- Use a pastry brush to brush water around the outside edge of each ravioli.
- Fold the unfilled side of ravioli dough over the filled side.
- Use two fingers to pat firmly yet gently around the filling. Packing and sealing the filling tightly helps prevent air pockets which helps avoid the ravioli from bursting. Press out the air pockets at the same time.
- Cut the ravioli using a ravioli stamp or a pastry wheel, pressing down to seal it.
Cook the ravioli
- Remove ravioli to a floured baking sheet or clean surface. Cover with a dish towel and refrigerate if cooking later in the day. In lightly boiling. heavily salted water (kosher salt), cook the ravioli for 3-5 minutes until the ravioli floats.
For the browned butter sage sauce
- Brown the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes until amber brown in color. Be sure to watch it closely at the 5 minute mark as it'll burn quickly if you're not careful!1 stick unsalted butter
- Add sage leaves during the last two minutes to flavor the sauce.3 sage leaves
- Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over hot ravioli and sprinkle with pine nuts and parmesan, as desired.½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
If using homemade ravioli dough
- Make ravioli dough recipe using
About Lori Murphy
Lori has over 30 years in the food industry as a marketing strategist, culinary instructor and chef for three kids with discerning palates. As the chief content creator at Josie + Nina, Lori is dedicated to helping home cooks create food memories through fresh ingredients and Italian flavors.
There is a “I don’t like squash crowd” ??? Nonsense.
Haha! I happen to be married to a card carrying member of that crowd but thank goodness my kids are on team squash!