Believe it or not, pumpkins are much more than a key
ingredient in a favored holiday pie or a time-honored, traditional Halloween
decoration. Pumpkins are a
Superfood. Superfoods are basically foods
packed with a broad spectrum of nutrients known to benefit overall health and
sometimes even prevent diseases. Pumpkins
are known to be low in calories and high in fiber, potassium, magnesium,
pantothenic acid, ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and perhaps most importantly, carotenoids. Diets high in carotenoids correlate with a
lowered risk of many forms of cancer (including cervical and breast cancers)
AND heart disease. For more information
on the benefits of eating foods rich in carotenoids please click on the link
below.
Beyond being a Superfood, pumpkin is also one of my favorite
ingredients to cook with. It is easily
spiced to take on either a sweet or savory flavor. While it does, in my opinion, make the best
pies, breads, and muffins; pumpkin is also wonderful in soups and pasta dishes.
I would like to share a recipe that can be completely homemade
but can also be made using store-bought shortcuts and still taste just as good.
Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli in Sage
Butter Sauce
Ingredients:
15 oz pure pumpkin puree
2 c fresh baby arugula (finely chopped)
1 small shallot (finely chopped)
½ tsp ground or grated nutmeg
Salt
Black pepper
2 Tbsp Fresh Sage (chopped)
4Tbsp Butter
½ c Dry white wine
1 egg
Homemade rolled pasta sheets (or a package of wonton wrappers)
Preparation:
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl and season
with salt and pepper to taste.
If you make your own pasta sheets, simply cut out circles of
pasta with a biscuit cutter or the top of a drinking glass. Beat the egg to make a wash and brush it on
the pasta rounds (or wonton wrappers).
Place a small amount of the pumpkin mixture in the middle of half of the
pasta rounds. Then top with the
remaining pasta rounds and gently press the seams together.
Boil the ravioli until it floats (2-4 minutes for fresh
pasta, and 8-10 minutes if you had frozen it)
Meanwhile, make the sage butter sauce by melting the butter
in a saucepan and then adding the sage and wine. Heat uncovered on low heat for about 5
minutes. Butter will brown and sauce
will reduce by almost half
Once the ravioli is done and drained, pour the butter sauce
over it and serve immediately.
*Ravioli freezes really well. I recommend making a lot at once and putting
some away in the freezer for later.
*Also, please note that butter is healthier than margarine
as butter is made of naturally occurring fats and margarine is made of things
the human body has no clue how to digest.
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