Sweet Potato Ravioli

Sweet Potato Ravioli. Quick and easy comfort food. So satisfying.

I love it when you don't have a plan and it comes together anyway. It was one of those days when I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner. I was looking around the kitchen and found a lonely sweet potato on its last leg. I knew I needed to use it up or it was going in the trash and I hate throwing away food. So there I was opening cabinets, looking in the frig, trying to figure out what I had that I could turn into a meal. I found some won ton wrappers in the freezer.....and ta da.... the sweet potato ravioli was born.

It doesn't take much filing for ravioli especially for two servings. Good thing because that potato was rather puny. I put it in the microwave and cooked it, scooped out all the filing into a bowl, then added a little heavy cream, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, and crushed amaretti cookies. (I just happened to have the cookies left from the last time I make real butternut squash ravioli. By real I mean making the pasta.) Chill the filing for a little while in the frig so it firms up.

I put the won ton skins on the counter, brushed one side with an egg wash, put on a teaspoon or so of the filing, then put the top won ton on and used my fingers to seal it and work out any bubbles. It is important to get the ravioli to seal well otherwise when you cook it it might come apart and the filing will just cook out.

I made 6 ravioli per serving. Each ravioli requires 2 skins and therefore used a total of 24 won ton skins.

Put a little flour on a baking sheet and place the sealed ravioli on the sheet. The flour will prevent them from sticking. You can cover it with a dish towel to prevent them from drying out.

Using won ton skins to make ravioli means altering the cooking time. Pasta takes longer to cook. These are so thin and light that they cook very quickly. Literally 2 minutes in a pot of boiling salted water and they are done. Scoop them out with a big lable, hold briefly on a towel to remove any excess water then plate.

In the meantime make the sauce.

The sauce was brown butter, sage, toasted walnuts. I always have butter in the frig, I have a sage plant in one of the pots on my balcony, and walnuts are a staple for us because we eat them in oatmeal and on salads. They are high in omega 3's so I try to incorporate them into as many dishes as possible. I always toast my nuts in a saucepan on top of the stove, but keep the nuts moving around, and give them a few minutes. You can tell when the smell comes out and when they just start to brown that they are done. Don't walk away....they will burn. Some cooks toast on a sheet pan in the oven, or you could use a toaster oven. But I find the stove top method to be quick and easy for me. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, gently only to brown, do not allow to burn. Add the sage leaves and turn off the heat. Allow the sage to sit in the butter while you finish the pasta and the flavor will impart.

To serve plate the ravioli, spoon the sage butter over, then sprinkle with the walnuts. You can grate a little cheese over them as well. Brace yourself....you are going to be soooooo happy!