Butternut Squash Ravioli with Maple Sage Cream Sauce

This rather long, but very easy, recipe comes from a pretty ballerina I know. She says it is a really great way to get some extra veggies into your diet. Or, perhaps, into the diet of a reluctant veggie eater. :)

• Prep Time:
  45 min
• Cook Time:
  30 min
• Ready In:
  1 hour, 15 min

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 recipe for whole wheat pasta dough link below

Filling

• 2 cups butternut squash
• 1 cup summer squash
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup caramelized onions (or quickly saute some onions until soft)
• 1 cup parmesan cheese

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 tablespoons Nuefchatel cheese
• 1/2 cup milk I used skim
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage minced
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 375˚. Peel and cube the butternut squash, dice yellow squash, and roughly chop the garlic. Toss squash mixture in olive oil and spread out on a sheet tray covered in tin foil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over and bake for 25-30 minutes until squash in tender. Place squash in food processor and let run until squash is pureed. Stir in parmesan cheese and onions, set aside.
• While squash is roasted, make one recipe of whole wheat past dough.Once pasta is ready to go, divide in half and roll out each on a floured surface into a rectangles, 1/8" thick. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of squash mixture into rows on one piece of the pasta. Make sure as you create your rows you are leaving enough room to press the edges together. Once you have the first side ready, lay the second piece of pasta over the filling. press down lightly around each ravioli and then cut out squares.
• In a large pot, bring water to a boil.
• While waiting for water to boil, begin to make sauce. Melt butter in a small sauce pan and add in garlic. Saute until garlic becomes soft and fragrant. Whisk in cheese, sage, and flour until mixture is smooth. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour milk into the pan while whisking and continue to whisk until sauce is smooth. Add in maple syrup and continue to whisk until sauce begins to think. Taste, add salt and pepper, then remove from heat.
• Once water in the large pot is boiling, add in ravioli, making sure to not crowd the pan. Let boil until ravioli float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon, plate, and drizzle sauce on top.

Aarti Sequeira's Mango BBQ Pulled Pork

This recipe comes touted from a very enthusiastic food friend of mine. Just remember that it takes around three hours to cook!

• 
  
• You will need:
• 
  
• 1 boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), about 3 pounds, excess fat removed

Rub:

• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

BBQ Sauce:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 onion, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (seeds discarded if you don't like it spicy)
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups mango puree - This can be switched out for apricot puree instead
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• Brioche rolls, split
• Bread and butter pickles

Directions

Rub: Combine the rub ingredients, in a small bowl and massage it into the pork shoulder until well coated. Set aside while you make BBQ sauce. You could do this a day ahead and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

BBQ sauce: In a large saucepan, warm the oil, over low heat, until hot and shimmering. Add the cumin and fennel; they should splutter upon contact - be careful! Once the spluttering subsides, add the onions, ginger and serrano and a little salt, to taste. Saute until they soften but don't let them get any color. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Simmer about 5 minutes. Taste and season.

Add the pork shoulder to the saucepan, coating it with the sauce. Cover, and gently simmer until the pork falls apart easily, stirring and turning often, about 3 hours.

Remove the pork from the saucepan and shred it using 2 forks. Return it to the sauce and stir to coat with the sauce. Put a generous spoonful of the pork inside a brioche bun, top with a few slices of pickle and serve. Cook's Note: prepare to have your loved one swoon over you!