Practice makes perfect and I’m out of practice, so these aren’t perfect. But fresh ingredients in the semblance of real ravioli makes up for a lot. We wanted to use tomatoes from the garden, so prepared a fresh red sauce. Otherwise I would have opted for browned butter, toasted pecan, and pan fried fresh rosemary. Making ravioli is a labor of love, but hot fresh homemade pasta is ample reward.

Good luck, have fun, enjoy, and don’t judge. Practice will make perfect and there is benefit in the trying. As a primer, try our recipe for fresh-made lasagne noodles. It’s easy, fast and supremely rewarding.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Ravioli – Makes 32 individual raviolis

Click Here For Printable Recipe

PUMPKIN FILLING INGREDIENTS:

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg yolk

1 amaretti cookie, crushed to fine crumbs with a rolling pin

1/2 cup firmly packed fresh grated parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on low speed until blended.

2.  Cover and set aside whist you prepare the pasta dough.

PASTA INGREDIENTS:

1/3 (1.25 oz.) cup tapioca flour

1/3 (2 oz.) cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons (1 oz.) potato starch flour

1 tablespoon xantham gum (essential, don’t be nervous)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 large eggs (splurge on nice organic ones!)

1 tablespoon good quality olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on low to blend.

2.  Add the eggs and olive oil, and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the dough begins to form a ball that pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Wrap and set aside whist you prepare the filling.

3.  Turn the dough onto a clean dry surface that has been lightly dusted with tapioca flour and roll it out as THINLY as possible, and as close to the shape of a rectangle as possible. The dough is cooperative and resilient; it will still handle well when you get it almost translucent. LIne a large plate or cookie sheet with waxed paper in preparation for the raviolis before boiling.

4.  Cut the dough in half.  Drop teaspoon sized (balls) of the filling, tow rows, spaced 1 1/2 inches apart, onto one half of the dough.

5.  Dip a knife edge into water and draw a light trail of water in straight lines between the pumpkin balls, creating a kind of grid.  This will help the top layer of dough adhere to the bottom layer.

6.  Lift the second rectangle of dough on top of the layer with the filling and gently press around each ball to form an “egg carton” effect. Cut into squares, roughly following the grid created by the water lines.

7.  Pull the ravioli squares from the grid, and one at a time crimp the edges by dipping a fork in water and pressing the tines into each edge to secure the tops and bottoms together. Set the finished pieces on the prepared plate.

8.  Boil a large pot of lightly salted water. When the water has reached slow boil, gently spoon the raviolis into the hot water, one at a time.  Cook for 10 minutes. This will work best in two batches unless you use a deep-sided frying pan.

9.  Remove the raviolis with a slotted spoon and transfer the the pan with the hot (tomato) sauce.  Gently, spoon the sauce over and around the raviolis over a low heat if necessary.  Transfer to hot pasta bowls and serve with fresh grated parmesan.

YUM!