Butternut squash, walnut and ricotta ravioli

• Drain ricotta well: Let it sit in a sieve for 30 minutes to prevent a watery filling.
• The squash and garlic should be fully cooled and excess moisture allowed to evaporate before blending. A wet filling makes sealing difficult and increases the risk of splitting.
• Aim for thick and spoonable, not smooth like a purée. Leaving a little texture from the walnuts improves structure and prevents the filling from leaking.
• Fresh pasta dough dries fast so lay a damp tea towel over rolled sheets while filling/cutting ravioli.
• When sealing the ravioli, press firmly around filling to push out air bubbles. Trapped air makes them burst in boiling water.
• Semolina is coarser than flour, so it creates a slightly gritty barrier. This means the pasta doesn’t absorb it as quickly, so the ravioli won’t stick to the tray or each other. Flour becomes gummy in water, unlike semolina which washes off cleanly and helps keep pasta separate as it cooks.
• Use gently boiling, not aggressively boiling, water. A rolling boil increases the chance of them bursting.
• Remove the pan from the heat before adding the butter; if the pan is too hot, the butter will split and the sauce won’t emulsify properly..

• Plain flour can be used instead of 00 flour for the most similar taste. Or strong white as a last resort but will result in a chewier pasta.
• Mascarpone can be used instead of ricotta. Due to the mascarpone’s richer and creamier texture, use 25% less.
• Pumpkin, sweet potato or even carrots can be used instead of butternut squash.
• Pine nuts make a good alternative to walnuts. They are more buttery and delicate than the earthy taste of walnuts.

Fresh pasta: Wrap tightly in cling film (or a reusable wrap). Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, freeze as a flattened sheet; thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.

Filling: Make ahead and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 2 days. Don’t freeze.

Uncooked ravioli: Place on a tray dusted generously with semolina (stops sticking). Keep in a single layer, uncovered, in the fridge for up to 4 hours before cooking. Or for freezing, arrange on a semolina-dusted tray, freeze in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag/container.

Sauce: Can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days in an airtight container but this isn’t optimal as the sauce will separate.

Cooked ravioli: Not ideal for storage as the pasta absorbs sauce and goes soft. If you must, refrigerate in an airtight container for 1 day.

Stove: If cooking ravioli from frozen, don’t thaw and boil as if from fresh. Add 1–2 minutes to cooking time. If re-heating the ravioli from the fridge, gently fry in a pan with a splash of water/butter. Re-heat the sauce gently in a pan as well.