Fresh Butternut Squash Ravioli with Prawns, Fried Sage and Truffle Oil Sauce

For the filling:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Peel the squash, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds then cut it into cubes. Spread it on a rimmed pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 F for 25-30 minutes or until squash is fork tender.
2. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute them until soft and translucent.
3. Place 2 cups of the squash in a food processor with the cooked garlic and onion mixture, the nutmeg and the mascarpone cheese.
4. Puree until totally smooth.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside until you are ready to assemble the ravioli.

For the truffle oil sauce:
1. Combine the vinegar and white wine in a saucepan on medium heat. Reduce until the liquid forms a light syrup.
2. Once it thickens, reduce the heat and add the cream. I often heat the cream first because I find that cream curdles less if you heat it first. I hate it when things curdle.
3. Decrease heat to low and whisk in butter, one cube at a time until well incorporated. You may not need the full amount. Start with 1/4 cup and then taste and see what you think. Do not allow it to boil.
4. Add lemon juice and truffle oil. Do not leave out the truffle oil. The oil is what makes this sauce. Keep sauce warm until ready to serve.

For the ravioli dough:
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add flour and salt and mix; then add 1 egg at a time and blend as you add each. Then add oil and mix until it forms a ball. Knead until smooth and then cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
2. Cut dough in quarters and cover the rest so it doesn’t dry out. Flour the counter and press the first section of dough flat to put it into the pasta machine. Put it into the machine on the widest setting. Do this 2 or 3 times then after that, turn the dial to the next setting getting thinner as your turn. The dial my machine starts at 1 and I go to 4 on the dial.
3. Once you have a thin sheet of pasta, cut or shape the pasta into whatever form you desire. For ravioli, read on …
4. If you have a pasta maker, use it to make two strips of dough that are about 5 inches wide. Lay one piece down and drop tablespoon sized scoops of the squash filling evenly spaced down the length of the sheet of dough (about 2 inches apart) and also make two rows across the width of the sheet. Then place the other strip of pasta over top and press down around each spoonful to make a sealed pocket. Then cut into ravioli squares.
5. If you don’t have a pasta maker, just roll the pasta by hand into at least a 10 inch wide rectangle and then cut into 2 strips that are 5 inches wide each and follow the directions above.
6. Cook the ravioli by boiling a pot of salted water. When water hits a boil, throw a bunch of ravioli in (don’t crowd the pot) and cook for a few minutes until they float. Drain and assemble the dish. Eat and savor!

For the garnish:
1. Heat 1/4 of the butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the prawns and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until they are an orange-pink color. Immediately remove them from the pan.
2. Melt the remaining butter in the same pan. Add the sage leaves and fry until crisp.

For the assembly:
As an appetizer: Assemble 3 or 4 ravioli on each plate, place one sage leaf on each ravioli and one prawn on top. Drizzle a spoon full of the sauce over each one.

As a main course: Place a number of ravioli on each plate, sprinkle a few sage leaves and prawns on top. Drizzle the sauce over the whole works.

You are going to love these! You will be so glad you made these at home, because you can just make yourself another plate.