Richard's Butternut Pumpkin & Feta Ravioli

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Butternut Pumpkin & Feta Ravioli

While we're all spending time at home, now is a great time to jump in the kitchen and get cooking! Make the most of local produce and play around with some new and incredibly delicious recipes from some of our region's best and brightest chefs! We’ve asked our local culinary heroes to share with you their ultimate isolation Comfort Food and tell us what's warming their hearts and bellies during this challenging time.

This week's recipe is brought to you by Richard Learmonth, Head Chef of Sisters Rock Restaurant at Borrodell Vineyard - Butternut Pumpkin & Feta Ravioli.

Message from the Chef:

As I'm making the adjustment from time poor and exhausted chef to penny pinching homebody it's been nice to reconnect with an old romance, hand made ravioli.  I made a dish quite similar to this when I was at Restaurant Pendolino some years ago.  The owner and executive chef, Nino Zocalli, taught me many lessons there but the one that still resonates on an almost daily basis is his pasta cooking mantra, "more butter, more salt, more cheese!" Words to live by.

I've incorporated some Second Mouse feta as I love how it's not excessively salted.  Whilst I would usually prefer sage for the butter sauce today I used rosemary and oregano as they were all I could pinch from the neighbour's garden.  It worked out just fine!

This recipe may look a little daunting but most of the steps are actually quite simple and can be made well in advance.  As always, I prefer to use local produce and I'm proud to feature the following local legends in this recipe: flour from Manildra Group, Donnet's eggs, Second Mouse feta, Tawarri Grove extra virgin olive oil, butternut pumpkin from Block 11 Organics, pepitas and semolina from Scoop Wholefoods Orange, and my trusty pasta machine from Essential Ingredient Orange.

Pasta Dough:
2 x eggs  
1 1/2 cups flour
pinch salt
2T water

Butternut Pumpkin Filling:
1/2 large butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced
100ml olive oil
150g Second Mouse feta
1/2 cup pepitas
80g or 1/2 cup grated parmesan
salt
black pepper

Other Stuff:
1/2 cup semolina for dusting (flour will work but not ideal) 
1 toothpick, or sharp thing
150g butter
50g or 1/3 cup grated parmesan
A big handful of herbs - sage, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, whatever you like

Pasta Dough:

1. Make a mountain shape of the flour and salt in a large bowl or on a clean bench. 

2. Push a sizeable dent into the top and crack in the eggs and water.  

3. Stir the liquid as they begin to incorporate the flour.  It will take some time to work all the dry ingredients into one consistency but it is important that your pasta dough is not too wet.  

4. Knead for five minutes.  

5. Cover and rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins, will keep well for two days.

Pumpkin Filling: 

1. Toss the pumpkin, olive oil and a generous pinch of salt together.  

2. Spread on a baking tray and roast at 150 degrees for about 40 minutes.  It should be soft but not too dark.  

3. Mash or blend into a puree, crumble in the feta and stir through the pepitas and parmesan. 

4. Add more salt and pepper to taste.  Keep for up to two days.

Ravioli: 

1. Roll the pasta into sheets of 1mm or thinner.  The last setting on a pasta roller is usually best.  If you have to make do with a rolling pin it is more difficult but well worth the patience involved in rolling thin sheets.  

2. Dust the bench with semolina and brush one sheet lightly with water.  

3. Place marble sized (1ts) piles of the filling spread about 2 inches apart.  

4. Gently layer another pasta sheet on top, carefully pressing around the filling so that there are no air pockets.  

5. Cut circular ravioli with a pastry cutter, or trace around a glass with a knife.  

6. Prick out any air pockets with the toothpick, they will make your pasta explode when cooking otherwise.  

7. Dust lightly with semolina and keep on non-stick paper.

Bring it All Together: 

1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.  

2. In a saucepan cook the butter and herbs until the milk in the butter begins to caramelise and brown.  

3. Cook the ravioli in the water for 2-3 minutes and spread on a plate.  

4. Grate the remaining parmesan over the top and then cover with the burnt butter and herbs.  

Enjoy lustily with plenty of cool climate chardonnay!

CHEF’S TIP: If it still doesn't quite taste as amazing as it looks; more butter, more salt, more cheese!

Find out more about Sisters Rock Restaurant HERE