Acorn Squash stuffed Ravioli :) Whoa!

There's something about ravioli that I really really like. I must like it so much that I continue to eat ravioli without actually liking what's inside. I have honestly ever bitten into about 3 raviolis that had insides worth raving about. Let's face it, inside of a little carb-castle is the per-fect location for something awesome, so why bland meat and gritty cheese all the time?

Ingredients:
 

Ravioli Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons water

Ravioli Filling:

1 roasted acorn squash (peeled and chopped)

4 cloves garlic

¼ of a large onion, finely chopped

2 T butter

1 pinch of salt

2 T freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pesto-Alfredo Cream Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons prepared basil pesto

sauce

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce

Egg Wash:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

I know it's a lot of ingredients and pieces and parts, but we'll get through this together... I had a lot of fun making the pasta and trying something new.

Directions:

1. Mound the flour and salt together on a work surface and form a well. Beat the teaspoon of olive oil, 2 eggs, and water in a bowl. Pour half the egg mixture into the well. Begin mixing the egg with the flour with one hand; use your other hand to keep the flour mound steady. Add the remaining egg mixture and knead to form a dough.

2. Knead the dough until smooth, 8 to 10 minutes; add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. While the dough is resting, prepare the ravioli filling. Saute onion and garlic in butter on medium heat for 7 minutes (until the onions turn clear. If the edges start to caramelize before the onions turn white, turn the heat down.) Combine sauté mixture with squash and mix until the squash is mashed.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and pesto sauce and cook for one minute. Pour in the heavy cream, raise the heat to high, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Remove the pan from the heat and keep warm.

5. At the same time, heat the marinara sauce in another sauce pan on low.

6. Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Roll out the pasta dough into thin sheets no thicker than a nickel. To assemble the ravioli, brush the egg wash over a sheet of pasta. Drop the filling mixture on the dough by teaspoonfuls about one inch apart. Cover the filling with the top sheet of pasta, pressing out the air from around each portion of filling. Press firmly around the filling to seal. Cut into individual ravioli with a knife or pizza cutter. Seal the edges.

7. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the ravioli, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the ravioli float to the top and the filling is hot, 4 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

8. Grease a baking sheet. Place the cooked ravioli on the sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven until brown, about 4 minutes.

9. Layer ravioli, red sauce, and cream sauce. :)

*Info on how to prepare the ravioli dough and sauce is from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/homemade-four-cheese-ravioli/detail.aspx

Joe's Review: "Two thumbs up... ...Three thumbs up."