Sweet and Spiced Pumpkin Ravioli

To celebrate Thanksgiving we have teamed up with Sanj Cooks who has created a unique spin on a ravioli dish.  You thought ravioli was only for dinner? Think again! This delicious sweet and spice pumpkin ravioli infused with our Smooth Operator bar will make you want to skip straight to dessert!

What you'll need 

For the pasta dough: 

• 200g pumpkin puree (I used unsweetened canned pumpkin puree) 
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 – 2 ¼ cups of “00” strong white bread flour 
• 2 tbsp of semolina flour, plus more to dust the surface 
• 1 tsp salt 
• ½ tsp of ground nutmeg 

 

For the filling: 

• 200g pumpkin puree 
• 100g mascarpone 
• 1 ½ tbsp of icing sugar 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg 

 

For the ganache: 

• 2 x 90g of Montezuma Smooth Operator milk chocolate 
• 180ml double cream 
• 2 tsp caster sugar 

 

For the candied pecans:

• 75g pecans 
• ½ a cup of brown sugar 
• ½ tsp salt 
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon 

Get making!

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and 1 of the eggs.
2. In a large food processor, pulse the flour, semolina flour, salt, and nutmeg. 
3. Add the pumpkin mixture and pulse briefly to combine. Add the remaining egg and pulse until the mixture resembles large crumbs. If the mixture seems dry, add a few drops of water and pulse briefly. If it seems too wet and sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix.
4. Place the onto a clean work surface lightly sprinkled with semolina flour and press together with your hands to form a rough ball. Knead the dough by using the palm of your hand. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat the pushing and folding motion.
5. Continue kneading for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Form it into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 - 45 minutes before rolling and forming it into your desired pasta shape.
6. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, mascarpone, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sift the icing sugar into the mixture and whisk vigoursly to remove any small lumps.
7. Set aside in the fridge to firm up.
8. Meanwhile, make the candied pecans. Combine all ingredients except the pecans in a large pan and cook over medium heat for a minute or two, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble.
9. Carefully add the pecans and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stir and coat the pecans with the glaze.

For the pasta: 

1. Remove from the heat, and spread the pecans out on parchment paper to let the pecans cool completely. Roughly chop or crush the pecans to garnish on the cooked ravioli.
2. If you don’t have a pasta making machine, roll the pasta dough by hand using a long wooden rolling pin.
3. If you do have a pasta making machine, feed a chunk of semi-rolled pasta dough through the machine set on the widest setting a total of 4 or 5 times.
4. Pass the sheet of pasta dough through the machine, gradually reducing the settings, one pass at a time, until the pasta achieves the correct thickness.
5. Your sheet of pasta dough will become quite long. You want the pasta to be as thin as possible, but not too thin where it seems fragile and likely to break. 
6. Shape the pasta into caramel sweet shapes, but you can choose to shape your ravioli as you wish.
7. Dust a clean surface with a little flour and place the long pasta dough on top. Using a knife or cutter, cut the sheets into 2 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch squares. 
8. Spoon a small amount of the pumpkin mixture into the centre of the square, leaving 1/4-1/2 inch around the border. Fold one side over the mixture. Fold the other side over to overlap the first side. Press lightly to seal without pushing out the filling. Twist the two edges and pinch to seal. Dust a clean plate with a small amount of semolina flour.
9. .Once you have made 10 – 12 caramel ravioli shapes, place on the plate.
10. In a medium-sized pot, add the double cream and bring to a simmer on medium heat.
11. Once the cream begins to a simmer, add the sugar.
12. Once dissolved, bring to a rolling boil and immediately take off the heat and pour on the chocolate. Carefully whisk the cream with the chocolate until it has fully melted and has a shiny gloss.
13. You can either fry the ravioli for a crispy texture or boil in water for a softer, more pasta like consistency.
14. To boil, add 4 or 5 as a batch to a large pot of boiling water. Cook for approximately 3 minutes or until they are floating on the top. Remove and let the pasta dry to remove excess water.
15. To plate, add 2 – 3 tbsp of ganache to a bowl/plate and scatter the ravioli on top. Garnish with chopped candied pecans and toasted pumpkin seeds.