Cappellacci di Zucca

Inside: A savory combo of roasted pumpkin, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated nutmeg and pink Himalayan salt

Outside: A soft, pillowy homemade egg pasta

Sauce: A rich clarified sage butter sauce complements the pasta.

Gilardi’s owner James Martin shared the mouthwatering recipe for Cappellacci di Zucca.

Cappellacci di Zucca (a.k.a. Pumpkin Ravioli)

Ingredients:

For the filling:

1 pound piece cheese or sugar pie pumpkin, calabaza or butternut squash, seeds and strings removed
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
1—2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
1¼ pound local egg pasta 
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, clarified (recipe below) 
12 large fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons sea salt
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

To prepare: 
To make the filling, preheat an oven to 400ºF. Prick the pumpkin with a fork before roasting to help evaporate the moisture. Place the pumpkin directly on the oven rack, and roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh from the peel; transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer the pumpkin puree to a bowl. Add the egg yolk, cheese, nutmeg and Pink salt. Mix well, adding the Panko crumbs as needed to bind the ingredients into a cohesive mixture. Cover the filling and set aside. Using a pasta machine or a floured rolling pin, roll out the pasta dough 1/32 inch thick, then fill and cut the ravioli. Pour the clarified butter into a small fry pan and place over low heat. Add the sage leaves and heat until the butter is saturated with the flavor of the sage, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm. In a large pot over high heat, bring 5 quarts water to a rapid boil. Add the kosher salt, gently drop in half of the ravioli and cover the pot. When the water returns to a boil, uncover and cook, stirring gently occasionally and reducing the heat as needed to prevent the ravioli from knocking against one another and breaking. The total cooking time should be 3 to 5 minutes. To test for doneness, transfer a single ravioli to a cutting boar,d and cut off a corner with a paring knife; if the pasta looks cooked through and the corner tastes tender, the pasta is done. Using a large slotted spoon, lift out the ravioli, allowing a little of the water to cling to them so they remain moist, and transfer to a warmed large, shallow serving bowl; cover the bowl to keep the ravioli warm. Repeat to cook the remaining ravioli. Drizzle the sage butter over the ravioli and serve immediately. Pass the cheese at the table. Serves 4.

Tip: To make clarified butter, in a fry pan over low heat, melt the butter. When it stops sizzling and the solids begin to separate and rise to the surface, skim off and discard the solids. The clarified butter should be golden in color. Watch it carefully to prevent it from getting too dark, which can happen in an instant; turn off the heat if it begins to darken too much before you have removed all the solids. Pass the clarified butter through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter to extract any solids that remain.