My sweet husband came home early from work to take the kids out in the side by side sledding out in the desert earlier this week. I could tell they were disappointed when I said I’d pass this time, but sometimes mama needs alone time no matter how much she adores her children.
I’ve been spending more time in the kitchen with these cold, short winter days and found myself whipping up these Pink Squash Beet Ravioli all the while worshiping the Lord for His goodness in my life. It’s funny I thought I needed me time, but turns out I need time with Jesus. And I know this may sound a little wild, woowoo christian, but it’s true.
Creating a piece of kitchen art to feed my soul and my family. Baking, cooking, creating are all part of my love language to my family and those in my life.
“She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” -Proverbs 31:27-28
After spending time preparing Pink Squash Beet Ravioli I found myself relaxing on the porch watching the sun begin to go down with Boone. What a gem he is! Early this morning I found him sleeping in the snow in the sun and he was actually steaming it was only 6 degrees out!
For Christmas my parents bought me a pasta hand rolling kit and I’ve been dying to really dive in and try it. Previously I had an attachment to my KitchenAid but found little shards of metal would end up in the pasta, and the dough was always getting stuck, it was such a bummer I wanted it to be great.
With my new tools I needed a new recipe to try out. This summer we had a ton of squash so many varieties I think it was a tad bit to much. However a new to me squash variety, was the Jumbo Pink Banana Squash from SeedsNow and I’m bummed I hadn’t planted more. Right now they are offering 15% off with their discount code: SAVE15.
The jumbo pink banana squash are not only are fun to grow in the garden because of their unique size and shape, but they are delicious. Far superior to most squash varieties, a sweet squash taste makes for a perfect filling for ravioli. They store exceptionally well over winter making them a high ranking squash needed in my gardening efforts.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner pink squash and pink ravioli seemed a perfect winter’s day cooking activity. The squash itself isn’t actually pink, but goes with my theme. Homemade ravioli’s are a work of love in the kitchen, and a workout. I was kicking myself for having trained shoulders this morning, rolling out pasta dough is tough.
As I was rolling the dough I was imaging perfectly square ravioli’s looking straight out of the grocery store. As I began filling them I realized none were going to look the same. I find that the odd shapes make them all the more appealing nonetheless. The beet powder is a simple way to get some veggie’s into your diet and makes for a pretty shade of dark pink.
Pink Jumbo Squash Preparation (a winter squash of your choosing or pumpkin would work as well).
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut your squash down the middle and remove any seeds and strings. I like to save my seeds for the garden. Leaving them to dry on wax paper.
- Add about a 1/2″ of water to the bottom of your pan and place your squash skin side down into the pan.
- Bake for about an hour or until the squash is easily pierced with a fork.
- Let squash cool, spoon into a bowl, add seasonings then mix using an immersion blender or food processor.
- Place in the refrigerator until it’s time to fill the ravioli’s.
Beet Ravioli Dough
- Begin by adding the flour, beet powder and the salt into a bowl and make a well. You can choose to do this by hand, but I prefer the KitchenAid and the dough hook, it’s just too messy for me without it.
- In the well add your 5 eggs, and 3 egg yolks.
- Turn mixer on a low set until well mixed in. With a spatula finishing mixing any dry flour in the bottom of the bowl, and mix on a medium setting until a ball forms.
4. On a well floured surface you will knead your dough for about ten minutes. This is where the upper body workout begins. You know the dough is ready when it springs back after pressing your finger into it.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, or a light towel just make sure the dough is well floured or the towel will stick.
6. Split your dough into two pieces. Begin rolling until your dough is about 1/4″ to a 1/8″ thick. Once your pieces look pretty similar, you are done rolling. I was happy to be done with this part! Labor. Of. Love. I did contemplate cutting it all into lasagna noodles halfway through but powered through humming hymns and rolling my triceps were actually burning.
7. Spoon the squash every two inches on the rolled out pasta dough and top with cheese of your choice.
8. Using a kitchen brush dip it into water and paint lines marking where each ravioli will be cut.
9. Carefully place your dough on top and press around each and every lump of ravioli filling.
10. I used my new pasta cutter, but a knife works just as well.
11. Start a pot of boiling water, and carefully place each ravioli in cooking for 4-5 minutes.
12. Strain the water out. And gently coat with olive oil and herbs of your choosing. I used rosemary and pepper and it was perfectly paired with the sweetness of the pink banana squash.
13. Enjoy with a fresh loaf of sourdough bread!
Making your own ravioli entirely from scratch is a bit time consuming, but like with anything else I imagine the more you do it the easier it gets. Or at least I will tell this to myself in order to continue my homemade pasta efforts.
Have you grown or eaten a jumbo pink banana winter squash before?
Happy Cooking!
Danielle
The Introverted Homesteader