Butternut Squash Ravioli With Brown Butter Sauce Recipe

I’ve been perfecting Butternut Squash Ravioli that relies on one unexpected pantry ingredient to keep the filling silky and easy to work with.

I keep coming back to this dish because it somehow tastes like the best parts of fall without being too sweet, and yeah I still get surprised every time. My Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce sounds fancy but it’s really about big, honest flavors — roasted butternut squash folded with creamy parmigiano reggiano, then finished with that nutty brown butter and crisp sage.

It’s the kind of Ravioli Recipe I serve when I want people to go quiet at the table, in a good way, asking for seconds even if they said they were full. Trust me, it’s worth the fuss.

Ingredients

• Butternut squash: Sweet earthy full of fiber and vitamin A makes the filling cozy
• All purpose flour: All purpose flour brings structure carbs for energy but little flavor
• Eggs: Eggs add protein and richness they help bind dough and give silkiness
• Ricotta: Ricotta is creamy higher in protein and calcium it lightens the squash
• Parmigiano Reggiano: Parmigiano adds salty umami a nutty punch and savory depth
• Unsalted butter: Butter browns to a nutty aroma its fat carries flavor in the sauce
• Fresh sage: Fresh sage gives herbal slightly peppery notes that cut through richness
• Toasted hazelnuts or walnuts: Toasted nuts add crunch and healthy fats a warm textural contrast

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 medium butternut squash, about 2 to 3 lb
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter for roasting
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmigiano reggiano, plus extra for serving
• 1 large egg yolk (or 1 egg) to bind
• 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter for the brown butter sauce
• 10 to 12 fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts or walnuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar (optional, to brighten)
• coarse sea salt for finishing (optional)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Cut, peel and seed the butternut squash, toss the cubes with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter, salt and pepper, roast on a sheet tray until very tender about 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool so it’s easier to mash.

2. Make the pasta dough: on a clean surface mound 2 cups all purpose flour and make a well, crack in 3 large eggs, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Mix with a fork until shaggy, then knead 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, dusting with a little extra flour if it’s sticky. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temp for 30 minutes.

3. Make the filling: mash about 2 cups roasted squash until smooth, stir in 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta, 1/2 cup finely grated parmigiano reggiano, 1 large egg yolk (or 1 egg), 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar if you want a bit of brightness. If using, fold in 1/4 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts or walnuts. Chill the filling 15 minutes so it firms up a bit, otherwise it’ll squish out.

4. Roll the dough thin: divide rested dough into 3 or 4 pieces, keep pieces covered so they don’t dry. Roll each piece with a pasta machine or rolling pin until very thin, something like
1.5 to 2 mm, dusting lightly with flour to prevent sticking.

5. Assemble ravioli: lay a sheet of dough on a floured surface, pipe or spoon small mounds (about 1 tablespoon) of filling spaced about 1 to
1.5 inches apart. Lightly brush the dough edges and between mounds with a little beaten egg or water, lay a second sheet of dough on top, press around each mound to seal and push out air pockets, then cut into squares or rounds and crimp the edges. Don’t overfill or they’ll burst in the water.

6. Dry briefly: transfer formed ravioli to a floured tray and let them rest 10 to 15 minutes while you bring water to a boil, this helps seals set. Keep them covered if making ahead for more than a few minutes.

7. Boil salted water: bring a large pot of well salted water to a rolling boil. Reserve about 1/4 cup pasta water before draining to adjust the sauce later.

8. Cook ravioli: add ravioli in batches so they don’t crowd, cook until they float and are tender about 3 to 4 minutes (thinner pieces may take less). Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and set aside.

9. Make the brown butter sage sauce and finish: in a skillet over medium heat melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, let it foam and turn golden brown while swirling the pan, watch it closely so it doesn’t burn. Add 10 to 12 fresh sage leaves and fry until crisp, toss in the toasted nuts if using, then stir in a splash of the reserved pasta water and 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar if you used it in the filling. Gently add the cooked ravioli to the skillet and toss to coat for 30 seconds. Serve right away with extra grated parmigiano reggiano and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and black pepper.

Equipment Needed

1. Rimmed baking sheet for roasting the squash
2. Sharp chef’s knife
3. Vegetable peeler
4. Cutting board
5. Large mixing bowl
6. Rolling pin or pasta machine (your choice)
7. Pastry brush or small bowl for beaten egg/water
8. Large pot plus slotted spoon or spider for lifting ravioli
9. 10 to 12 inch skillet for the brown butter and sage
10. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a fine grater for Parmigiano

FAQ

Butternut Squash Ravioli With Brown Butter Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• 2 cups all purpose flour: try 00 flour for a silkier, smoother dough, or swap half the AP with fine semolina (1 cup AP + 1 cup semolina) for more bite. For gluten free use a 1:1 GF pasta blend, you might need an extra egg or a pinch of xanthan to hold it together.
• 3 large eggs: use 4 egg yolks instead of whole eggs for richer, more tender pasta, or go eggless with 1/4 cup water + 1 tbsp olive oil (texture will be different). For a vegan option use flax or aquafaba (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, or 1 tbsp aquafaba per egg).
• 1 medium butternut squash: swap with sugar pumpkin, pie pumpkin, roasted sweet potato, or kabocha squash, they all give similar sweetness and body. You may want to cut back on the maple syrup if the substitute is extra sweet.
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta and 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano: ricotta can be replaced with mascarpone or well drained cottage cheese for creaminess. Parmigiano can be swapped for Grana Padano or pecorino romano, just note pecorino is saltier and sharper so use a little less.

Pro Tips

– Roast the squash until it’s very soft and a little caramelized, then really drain or press out excess liquid before you mash it. Too wet a filling is the number one reason ravioli burst in the pot, so chill the filling so it firms up a bit before you portion it.

– Don’t dust the sheets with piles of flour while you roll, use just a light dust or swap to fine semolina or cornmeal for dusting so the dough doesn’t dry out and get tough. If the dough feels sticky, let it rest longer, room temp eggs help the gluten relax faster, and always test-cook one raviolo to check seasoning and thickness before you make the whole batch.

– For sealing, smear a thin ring of egg wash or water around each mound, press out all air pockets and use a small dab of flour between sheets if they try to slide. Work in small batches, keep unused dough covered, and if a seam looks weak pinch and chill it on a tray for 10 to 20 minutes so it sets up before boiling.

– Brown the butter slowly and watch it like a hawk, once it smells nutty pull it off the heat, then add sage to crisp in the residual heat so it won’t burn. Finish the sauce with a splash of reserved pasta water and a little acid like lemon or vinegar to brighten everything, and add toasted nuts at the end for crunch, sprinkle with coarse salt just before serving.