SAMHUINN: Pumpkin Ravioli
2 cups pumpkin, chopped and peeled
1 tbl. olive oil
1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbl. chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tbl. chopped fresh sage leaves
2 tbl. cream cheese or mascarpone
1/4 cup plus 1 tbl. parmesan cheese, grated
forty 3-1/2-inch-square wonton skins
1 large egg white
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a 13x9 inch baking pan with 1 inch boiling water. Place steaming basket or metal colander in center of pan. Evenly place pumpkin chunks in colander. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Remove pumpkin from oven and let cool 5 minutes. In small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbl. parsley and the sage. In large bowl, with potato masher, mash pumpkin toa pulp. Add shallot mixture, mascarpone, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese; with spoon, mix until well combined. For each ravioli, place one heaping tablespoonful of pumpkin filling in center of wonton skin. Brush edges of wonton skin with egg white around filling; cover with another wonton skin. With fork, gently press around the filling to expel any air pockets and to seal the ravioli. If a scalloped edge is desired, with fluted pastry wheel, trim wonton skins around the edges. Place ravioli on tray or baking sheet. Repeat to make more ravioli with remaining wonton skins and filling.
To cook ravioli, in 6-quart saucepot, heat 4 inches water to boiling over high heat. Carefully add ravioli and cook 5 to 7 minutes or just until they appear translucent. With slotted spoon, remove ravioli, and place on tray. (The ravioli are fragile; do not drain directly into a colander.)
