Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter

Ingredients: Serves 2-4 (starter or main)

For the Pasta

• 250 g of 00 flour
• 3 medium egg yolks
• 2 medium whole eggs

For the filling

• 1 large pumpkin, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 dried chillies, crushed, or 1 scant teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• The zest of 1 lemon
• 250 g ricotta
• 80 g Parmesan, grated
• 1 x quantity pasta dough 
• Semolina, for dusting

For the sauce:

• 150 g butter
• 8–10 sage leaves
• 40 g Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. In a roasting tin, season the pumpkin well with a pinch of salt, chilli and olive oil then roast in the oven until soft and caramelised – about 40–50 minutes. Leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, make your pasta dough.
3. To make the pasta dough, mix the ingredients together, either by hand, with a spoon, or in a mixer. 
4. Knead for at least 10 minutes, until you have a smooth, even dough. 
5. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for a good 30 minutes.
6. Mash the cooked pumpkin in a bowl with a fork and add the lemon zest, ricotta and Parmesan – taste for seasoning. 
7. Set aside to cool completely, either at room temperature or in the fridge.
8. Cut the pasta dough in half, then, using a machine, roll the dough (adding flour when necessary) until it’s thin enough to just see your hand through, then lay out one strip on a floured surface. 
9. Take walnut-sized pieces of the filling and place in the centre of the pasta with 5 cm/2 in spaces between each.
10. Dampen the pasta sheet with a pastry brush dipped in water and fold the top part of the sheet over the bottom, pressing down with your fingers to seal. 
11. Cut the ravioli and place on a tray well coated in semolina. 
12. Place in the fridge until service.
13. When you are ready to good your pasta, get a large pot of salted boiling water on the go, as well as a shallow pan to make he sauce.
14. Melt the butter over a medium heat, add the sage leaves and continue cooking it, letting it bubble away until it just begins to turn brown.
15. As you melt the butter for the sauce, drop the ravioli into the salted boiling water and cook for 2–3 minutes, until they come to the surface.
16. Once the butter for the sauce has begun to brown, add a ladle of the pasta cooking water and turn down the heat – stirring.
17. Add the Parmesan to the sauce and stir over a low heat until an emulsion is formed.
18. Remove the pasta from the water with a slotted spoon and place in the sauce. 
19. Serve with a little extra Parmesan and the lovely crispy sage leaves.