Mushroom Ravioli with Pumpkin-Sage Sauce

This was featured in the the fall issue of Gatherings, a gorgeous online magazine...and the brainchild of my dear childhood friend, Heather Spriggs Thompson. 

This is a fun recipe, one that may cause you pat your own back with humble self-satisfaction.  

I splurged and bought a bag of dehydrated "good" mushrooms:  cremini, shittake, oyster, trumpet, etc. 

Mostly I bought it because I loved the product name:  "Fungus AmongUs".  How could I resist?

When I snipped open the bag, it smelled like a walk through the forest on a foggy fall afternoon.

I heated a bit of water and rehydrated the little lovelies according to the package directions.

Using fresh pasta sheets is certainly supreme to the faux pasta the wonton wrappers create.  But when you're pressed for time and want to make a special supper for a special someone, reach for the wrappers.  

You'll want to prepare a little assembly station and have everything at the ready.  Working quickly is important so the wrappers don't dry out. 

While it may seem like a lot of ingredients and a frightful amount of steps, I promise it's worth it...

Here's the printable recipe.

Mushroom Ravioli with Pumpkin-Sage Sauce
(Makes about 26 ravioli and 1 cup of sauce)

Mushroom Filling:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallot cloves, diced (Substitute a 1/4 cup of diced onion)
1/2 pound good mushrooms (cremini, trumpet, oyster, shiitake, etc.), chopped  (Substitute button mushrooms, stems removed and chopped)
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon finely rubbed dried rosemary (substitute 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup toasted breadcrumbs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano (substitute a good Parmesan)
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

Pumpkin-Sage Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot clove, sliced into rounds and separated into rings
4 fresh sage leaves, cut away from center stem and chopped
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup half-and-half (Substitute heavy cream)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
pinch of ground cloves

For the assembly:
52 wonton wrappers (Or fresh pasta sheets, cut into 56 (2 and 1/2 inch) squares)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided 
Sage leaves for garnish, if desired
 
To prepare the filling:

Melt butter over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add shallots and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Add mushrooms and saute until browned, about 5 minutes.    Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the rosemary (rubbing it between your fingers will break it up a bit and help you remove the woody stems...) then the wine and cook until liquid is evaporated, 1-2 minutes. 

Transfer contents of skillet to a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Pulse processor for about a minute to finely chop the mushroom mixture. 

Transfer chopped mushroom mixture into a mixing bowl.  Add the egg, breadcrumbs and cheeses.  Stir well and set aside. 

To assemble and cook the ravioli:
Set a gallon of water to a boil in a large stock pot.  Add a teaspoon of salt to the water.

In a small bowl, prepare an "egg wash" by beating the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. 

Set a large sheet of waxed paper on working surface.  Lay out 8 wonton wrappers. Set the bowl of mushroom filling nearby.  (Also place a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper nearby; this sheet will receive the assembled ravioli and help you efficiently transport them to the boiling water.)

Using a pastry brush and working quickly so the wrappers do not dry out, brush 4 of the wrappers with the egg wash.  Place a teaspoon of mushroom filling on the center of the 4 egg-washed wrappers.  Lay a wonton wrapper on directly on top of the filling and lightly press down, using your fingers to press out the air and seal the wrappers together.  Placed the filled raviolis on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Repeat until all filling has been used.

Working in batches of 4 to 6, boil the ravioli for 2-3 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the ravioli from the water and gently drain.  Repeat until all ravioli have been cooked. 

(If you're feeling picky, trim the edges of the square ravioli after they've cooked to create a pretty circle.) 

To make the sauce:

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Saute shallots 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until browned.  Remove shallots with slotted spoon and reserve for topping plated ravioli.  Add chopped sage to the butter and cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute.  Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients.  Use a whisk to combine well.  If sauce is too thick, use a few teaspoons of additional half-and-half to thin it a bit. 

To serve:

Divide ravioli onto plates and serve, spooning with sauce and topping with grated Parmesan,  reserved shallots (see sauce recipe), and garnishing with sage (if desired).

Recipe adapted from Andrew Zimmern