Butternut Squash Ravioli in Sage Brown Butter with Toasted Walnuts

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A 20-minute trattoria entree built on good store-bought butternut squash ravioli and one real technique: cooking butter past melted into deep, nutty, hazelnut-brown, then crisping whole sage leaves in it until they shatter. Toasted walnuts add crunch, a splash of starchy pasta water turns the butter into a glossy sauce that clings, and a shower of Parmesan ties it together. This is the kind of plate that runs $18 at an Italian-American dining room and costs a fraction of that at home.

Ingredients

• 20 oz refrigerated butternut squash ravioli (two 10-oz packages)
• 2 tbsp kosher salt, for the pasta water

• 3/4 cup walnut halves and pieces
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into even pieces
• 20 fresh sage leaves
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more to taste

• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Keep it at a gentle boil — a hard rolling boil tears delicate ravioli. Set a large serving platter or 4 shallow bowls near the stove.
2. Toast the walnuts first, while the water heats: spread them in a dry 12-inch skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan every 30 seconds, for 4 to 6 minutes, until fragrant and one shade darker. Pour them onto a cutting board, let cool 2 minutes, then coarsely chop. Wipe the skillet clean.
3. Pat the sage leaves completely dry with a paper towel — wet leaves will spatter and steam instead of crisping. Grate the Parmesan now so it's ready.
4. Set the skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Let it melt, then keep cooking, swirling the pan often. It will foam loudly at around 2 minutes as the water cooks off, then quiet down. At 4 to 6 minutes the milk solids at the bottom will turn golden and then hazelnut brown and the butter will smell nutty and toasted. Tilt the pan and look at the specks, not the liquid — that's your gauge.
5. The moment the butter is nutty brown, add the sage leaves in a single layer and the pinch of red pepper flakes. Fry 30 to 45 seconds, until the leaves stop sizzling hard and turn dark green and stiff. Lift them out with a fork or slotted spoon onto a paper towel. Immediately slide the skillet off the heat so the butter doesn't scorch, and stir in the nutmeg.
6. While the butter browns, drop the ravioli into the gently boiling water. Cook according to the package, usually 3 to 5 minutes, until they float and the pasta edges are tender. Just before draining, dip out 3/4 cup of the starchy cooking water.
7. Return the skillet to low heat and add 1/3 cup of the pasta water, swirling hard for about 30 seconds — the butter and water will emulsify into a light, glossy sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt.
8. Lift the ravioli from the pot with a spider or slotted spoon and add them directly to the skillet. Spoon the sauce over them and swirl gently for 1 minute to coat, adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time if it tightens. Stir in half the chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan off the heat.
9. Transfer to the platter or bowls, spooning every drop of butter over the top. Scatter with the remaining walnuts, the crisp sage leaves (crumble a few over, leave the rest whole), the remaining Parmesan, and plenty of cracked black pepper. Serve right away, while the butter is still pooling.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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