Honey Roasted pumpkin, ricotta cheese ravioli with toasted walnuts, pumpkin pieces, and sage beurre noisette, finished with truffle oil hints.

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23897272_1998298913747360_462201462_o23847755_1998298903747361_897929930_o23897265_1998298907080694_741059471_o23897197_1998298873747364_1174849548_o23960744_1998298800414038_820584347_o23847791_1998298847080700_1913553721_o23897044_1998298783747373_1569840283_o23960907_1998298860414032_757721707_o23848006_1998298797080705_1610650065_o23848063_1998298790414039_2003964097_o23847747_1998298823747369_1548397260_o23874189_1998298840414034_843348046_o23847050_1998298837080701_1496621642_o23897448_1998298960414022_1752524924_o23847992_1998298947080690_1781026292_o23848142_1998298933747358_1950054204_o23897246_1998298923747359_999204769_oIngredients needed for the pasta dough:

  • 300 grams of OO pasta flour
  • 3 medium whole eggs
  • A pinch of Maldon sea salt
  1. To start the pasta dough place the OO flour and Maldon sea salt into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Create a volcano shape in the middle of the flour, as this is where you will crack your eggs.
  3. One by one crack your eggs into the centre of the flour, discarding of the shells using a metal fork whisk the eggs (you can do this before in a Pyrex jug) using a clean wooden spoon begin to drag the OO flour in from the edges and incorporate the eggs and flour.
  4. Once the dough has reached a beautiful crumbly consistence start using your hands to pull the dough together, using your palms. Once the dough is ready and all of the flour and eggs incorporated tip out onto a floured service.
  5. Begin to knead the dough as this builds the glutens up, after 10 minutes of kneading your dough it should be smooth and silky.
  6. Once at this stage wrap your dough in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes as this allows the dough to relax.
  7. Having rested the pasta dough it is now time to shape your dough you can either do this by using a rolling pin or using a pasta machine, as this will ensure that all of the pasta is even once it has reached your desired thickness. (On a pasta machine you have three settings as these enable you to work the dough down to the desired thickness)
  8. After rolling the dough to fit to the machine, run the dough through the thickest setting, fold in half and then drop the thickness as this helps to ensure the dough is silky and glossy. The thickness you want to achieve is that of a pound coin.
  9. Once you have reached this stage allow to air for a minute. Using your cutter cut out the shapes once cut place onto a floured large dinner plate as this helps to stop them from sticking together.
  10. Wrap with cling film and rest until it is time to fill.

Honey roasted pumpkin, ricotta cheese ravioli filling:

  • 1/8 pumpkin peeled
  • 15 grams of drained ricotta cheese
  • Little salt
  • Freshly cracked black Pepper
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees.
  2. Weigh out 15 grams of ricotta cheese (to remove the excess moisture from the cheese, place into a fine sieve over a bowl and reserve in the fridge) the excess moisture can ruin the mixture and also make your pasta parcels explode.
  3. To prepare the pumpkin remove the skin, seeds, membrane and white piff as this is bitter and not very nice to eat, once the pumpkin has been prepared cut into equal size chunks, as this will ensure for even cooking.
  4. Place into an oiled ovenproof Pyrex dish and place in the oven for 30minutes.
  5. Once the pumpkin has been cooking for 30 minutes, season with sea salt, pepper and add a drizzle of honey reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees and cook for a further 30 minutes until the pumpkin is golden brown, sweet and tender.
  6. To check the pumpkin pieces are cooked grab a knife and if you can easily pierce them remove from the oven.
  7. Using a potato masher mash the pumpkin, allow to cool, once cooled add your ricotta cheese and mix to incorporate.

Honey roasted pumpkin pieces:

  • 1/8 pumpkin which has been peeled, sliced and deseeded
  • Olive oil
  1. To begin place a large frying pan onto a medium heat.
  2. Slice each pumpkin piece to the thickness of your thumb, as they cook they will reduce in size so want them to still have structure and offer a different texture dimension.
  3. Once the pan is up to temperature add a little olive oil and allow to heat, the secret to achieving the perfect roast is a very hot pan.
  4. Place each of the pumpkin slices into the pan and allow to cook on one side until they are a beautiful golden brown, this should take thoroughly around 10 minutes, but just keep checking.
  5. Once golden and beautiful place onto a large baking tray and drizzle with runny honey and reserve to one side until they are required later on in the process.

Time to fill:

  1. Remove your cut pasta pieces from the fridge.
  2. For this dish each person will have three portions of ravioli, place your pasta pieces out onto a pre-floured service.
  3. Using a small teaspoon fill each of pasta parcels, ensure that you don’t over fill them or otherwise they can break or explode once they hit the water.
  4. To seal pinch the centre of the pasta so that the filling stands proud, gently press the edges down with your finger to seal you may require a little cold water to do this.
  5. Once filled reserve in the fridge until later.
  6. For this dish you will need 20 individual ravioli portions.

Toasted walnut Halves:

  • Walnuts
  1. Place a large frying onto a medium heat, allow to get hot.
  2. Once up to temperature add your walnuts keep them on the move as nuts and seeds catch very easily. By warming the walnuts you help to reseal their beautiful natural perfume and essential oils.
  3. Once roasted carefully decant into an artisan bowl until required later.

Action Stations – Multi tasking to the max:

Ingredients breakdown:

Wilted Spinach

  • Washed baby spinach
  • Softened Butter
  • Sea salt
  • Black pepper
  • Grated nutmeg

Sage Beurre Noisette

  • Picked sage leaves
  • Knob of softened butter

Cooking of the Pasta

  • Sea salt
  • Boiling Water

Heating the pumpkin pieces.

  • Runny Honey

Method: 

  1. Place a heavy bottom range master pan onto a medium heat, once warm fill with cold water add a pinch of sea salt and allow to boil.
  2. Drizzle the pumpkin pieces with a little more honey, place into a pre-warmed oven of 150 until they are warm and caramelised.
  3. In a fine colander wash half a bag of baby spinach, place into a salad spinner to dry.
  4. Pick the leaves from the sage stalks.
  5. Place two large frying pans onto the heat allow to warm, once warm add your pasta to the pan of boiling water, cook for 10-15 minutes or until they float to the surface.
  6. In this time you can make your sage beurre noisette and wilt your spinach.
  7. Once the pans are warm add your butter allow to melt a little; add your spinach to it’s pan as the heat will wilt the spinach naturally.
  8. In the other pan now for the beurre noisette; allow the butter to colour a little until a light golden brown, add your sage leaves allow to fry and go crisp once at this stage remove from the heat.
  9. Season the spinach with sea salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
  10. Pre-warm 8-10 artisan bowls.
  11. Remove the pumpkin pieces from the oven; along with the pasta ensure that the pasta is al dente and beautifully cooked reserve on a j-cloth until service.

SERVICE!!!!

To plate lay out the artisan plates on each of the plates lay a bed of wilted spinach in the centre of the plate. Next lay on three pieces of roasted pumpkin so that it makes a star; and now lay three beautiful ravioli’s on top of the wilted spinach. In the gaps lay a roasted walnut. Pour over your sage beurre noisette and to finish drizzle over the white truffle oil along with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

The beautiful aspect of this dish is that each of elements compliments the next ensuring you receive a dish of varied textures which come together to create a picture of a fresh cold autumn day.

Wine Pairing: due to the rich complexity of this dish I would pair it with a red from Bordeaux as this is the home of the Truffle.

The Gent.

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