This butternut squash ravioli recipe is the ultimate fall cooking project! Pockets of homemade pasta surround a rich, creamy squash and sage filling.
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If you’re ever wondering how to spend a rainy, gray fall day, here’s your answer: make this butternut squash ravioli recipe! It’s a bit of a project, as you’ll make both the pasta and the filling from scratch, but Jack and I can attest that it’s a total blast. Your kitchen will fill with the mouthwatering aroma of roasting squash, shallots, and sage, and you’ll have a chance to get a little crafty as you carefully fill and punch out each piece of butternut squash ravioli.
Then comes the best part: you eat! I love to serve my butternut squash ravioli with a light sage and white wine sauce, but you could just as easily top it with olive oil, sea salt, and a shower of Parmesan cheese. It’ll be delicious either way, thanks to the fresh, al dente pasta and the creamy squash filling. Let’s cook!
Butternut Squash Ravioli Recipe Ingredients
Homemade pasta is always a treat, but the rich, creamy filling is what makes this butternut squash ravioli recipe so special. These wholesome ingredients pack it with irresistible autumn flavor:
- Butternut squash – You couldn’t make butternut squash ravioli without it! It makes the filling super creamy without any cheese or cream.
- Roasted shallots and garlic – For savory, umami depth of flavor.
- Fresh sage – Because nothing’s better than fresh sage + roasted squash in the fall!
- Walnuts – They add richness to the filling, working with the squash to make it thick and creamy.
- Apple cider vinegar – Its tangy flavor highlights the savory roasted shallots and garlic.
- Nutmeg – Just a pinch! I love its nutty flavor with the sweet roasted squash.
- And sea salt and fresh black pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Along with these filling ingredients, you’ll need flour, eggs, olive oil, and (more) sea salt to make the pasta.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Butternut Squash Ravioli
I like to think of this butternut squash ravioli recipe in three parts: making the filling, making the pasta, and assembling and cooking the ravioli. Here’s how it goes:
First, roast the squash, shallots, garlic, and sage. If you can, do this step in advance, as the filling is thicker and creamier when the squash has plenty of time to cool. Roast the squash cut-side-down at 400° until it’s completely soft, about 40 minutes. Wrap the shallots, garlic, and sage in foil with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil, and roast them for 20 minutes. After you roast the veggies, set them aside to cool for at least 30 minutes.
Next, make the pasta dough according to this recipe.Stop at the end of step 2 for now, wrapping the dough in plastic wrap and letting it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling.Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they’re finely ground. Then, add 1 1/2 cups of the roasted squash flesh, the roasted sage, shallots, and garlic, apple cider vinegar, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Process until the filling is smooth and creamy. Season to taste… good luck not eating it all out of the food processor with a spoon! Chill the filling while you roll out the pasta.
Return to the homemade pasta recipe to roll out the dough. You’ll skip step 5 (the folding) and stop after step 6 (rolling out the pasta sheets). You should end up with four wide, thin sheets of pasta dough. After you roll them out, spread them on two lightly floured baking sheets.
Next, fill the ravioli!Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to dot the filling onto two sheets of pasta. I like to lightly score the dough with my ravioli stamp so I know how far apart to space the filling. If you don’t have a ravioli stamp, you can use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut square ravioli. Just make sure to space the scoops of filling at least 2 inches apart.
Then, cut out the ravioli. Lay the two remaining sheets of pasta over the ones dotted with filling, and use your ravioli stamp, pizza cutter, or knife to cut out ravioli with the dollops of filling in the middle.
Finally, cook! Drop the ravioli into a large pot of boiling salted water, and cook for 4 minutes. Serve hot, and enjoy!
Butternut Squash Ravioli Recipe Tips
- Roast the veggies ahead of time.As I mentioned in the step-by-step instructions above, I recommend roasting the squash, shallots, garlic, and sage in advance. That way, they’ll be completely cool when you blend up the filling. If the veggies are cool, the filling will be thicker, so it’s easier to work with when you’re cutting out the butternut squash ravioli.
- Keep the pasta dough covered in plastic wrap when you’re not working with it.The pasta dough dries out quickly, so if you’re not working with it, cover it with plastic wrap to help it retain moisture.
- Get scrappy.The number of ravioli this recipe yields will vary based on how large you cut your pasta. Just like when you’re making sugar cookies, start by cutting out ravioli close to the edges of the dough, and then work towards the center, puzzling the cut-outs together to make as many as you can. Then, don’t be afraid to use any large scraps to make a few more!
- Cook the pasta right before you eat.The butternut squash ravioli is best hot from the stove. If you’re serving it with a topping like the wine sauce and vegetables in the recipe below, prep the components before you cook the pasta so that you can quickly plate it and eat while it’s freshly cooked.
- Eat the leftover filling. After you make this butternut squash ravioli recipe, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with leftover filling. Don’t let it go to waste! Use it as a sauce for your favorite pasta shape, or enjoy it as a dip.
Serving Suggestions
I love to top my butternut squash ravioli with a tangy, aromatic sauce made from garlic, sage leaves, white wine, and fresh thyme. It comes together in right around 5 minutes – less than the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta – and it’s the perfect simple finishing touch for the flavorful ravioli. I complete my plate with cubes of roasted butternut squash, sautéed kale, and toasted walnuts for crunch. This combination is simple, elegant, and packed with texture and flavor. I really hope you give it a try!
But if the sauce and vegetable topping don’t sound like your thing, that’s ok! (You just made ravioli from scratch, for crying out loud!) The butternut squash ravioli would also be delicious with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese. To make it a full meal, pair it with crusty bread or rosemary focaccia, roasted veggies like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, or an autumn salad. My Pear Salad with Balsamic and Walnuts and Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad would both be great choices.
More Favorite Cooking Projects
If you love this butternut squash ravioli recipe, try one of these autumn cooking projects next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Best Vegetarian Lasagna
- Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
- Soft Pretzels
- Homemade Bagels
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Best Pumpkin Pie
For more favorite fall recipes, check out this post!
Butternut Squash Ravioli
rate this recipe:
5 from 16 votes
Total Time: 2 hours hrs
Serves 4
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This butternut squash ravioli recipe is the ultimate fall cooking project! Pockets of homemade pasta surround a rich, creamy squash and sage filling. I use this 3-inch ravioli stamp.
Ingredients
For the ravioli
- 1 small butternut squash
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 medium shallot, roughly chopped (scant ½ cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- ¼ cup loose-packed fresh sage
- 1 Recipe Homemade Pasta
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For serving
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 10 sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup Roasted Butternut Squash cubes, optional
- ½ bunch Sauteed Kale, optional
- Grated pecorino cheese, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roast the squash. Cut the squash in half vertically and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper and place cut side-down on the baking sheet. Prick the skin several times with a fork and roast for 40 minutes. Wrap the shallot, garlic cloves, and sage in a piece of foil with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. After roasting, let the squash, shallots, garlic, and sage cool for at least 30 minutes.
Make the pasta dough according to this recipe. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and set aside to rest while you make the filling.
Make the filling. Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until very finely ground. Add the cooked shallot, garlic, and sage to the food processor. Measure 1½ packed cups of the squash, and transfer to the food processor. Add the vinegar, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and pulse until very smooth. Chill until ready to use.
Roll out the pasta according to the instructions in this recipe, skipping step 5 (the folding) and stopping after step 6 (after the sheets of pasta; before they get cut into strands). Spread the 4 pasta sheets on a well-floured work surface. Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the filling onto 2 of the pasta sheets (the spacing will depend on the size of your ravioli stamp). Place the remaining pasta sheets over the sheets that are dotted with filling. Gently press the dough around the filling to seal. Use a ravioli stamp or cutter to cut out ravioli shapes. Cook the ravioli in a pot of salted boiling water for 4 minutes. I like to drop them into the water as I’m ready to start my sauce so that they’re done around the same time.
Make the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage and cook for 3 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, and salt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Spoon the sauce over the ravioli and top with the walnuts and freshly ground black pepper. Add the roasted butternut squash cubes, sautéed kale, and grated pecorino, if desired.
