Pumpkin Ravioli with Walnut Sage Pistou

It's fall! Pumpkin season! Best time of year!

I admit it. I watch the Food Network sometimes. This is loosely (very, very loosely) based on a Giada de Laurentiis recipe, but veganized & improved by like a million percent.  The pumpkin filling is creamy & has a tiny bit of sweetness from some maple syrup (you can use brown sugar or brown rice syrup in its place; I just like pumpkin & maple together).

I went with a pistou instead of a pesto because I like the texture way better.  Pistou is almost like pesto, except it doesn't have nuts in it.  Pesto is traditionally herbs, garlic, nuts & oil, whereas pistou is just the herbs, garlic & oil  I had some walnut oil in the fridge leftover from my maple walnut vinaigrette so I used that in my sauce, which provided it with a nice nutty flavor & a lot of richness.  If you don't have walnut oil, you can throw in a handful of walnuts & use all olive oil in your sauce.

I ended up serving my ravioli over a bed of baby spinach (which wilted from the heat of the ravioli) along with some toasted pepitas & dried cranberries.

On to the recipe!

Pumpkin Ravioli:

1 15-oz can pumpkin
3/4 tsp herbes de provence
1/2 c chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic
1/2-3/4 c ricotta (I used the cashew ricotta recipe from Veganomicon)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp maple syrup
salt to taste
1 pkg dumpling wrappers

Saute the shallots & garlic in oil until they are translucent, then add the herbes de provence, nutmeg, cayenne & maple syrup. Cook for one or two more minutes until the maple syrup has cooked off. Add the pumpkin & ricotta to the pan & stir to combine. Fill the dumpling wrappers with a scant teaspoon of filling. Seal the dumplings by wetting one side of the wrapper & folding the dry side of the wrapper onto it. Work out the extra air & press to seal.  Boil for 2-3 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce!


Sage Pistou

Combine the following in a food processor:
1 supermarket sized container or sage, leaves only
2 handfuls baby spinach
2 Tbsp walnut oil
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot
1/2 tsp lemon juice
zest of half a lemon
spoonful of ricotta (optional)

Walnut Maple Brussels Sprouts

These ain't your grandma's brussels sprouts. Tangy and sweet, you're going to love this updated classic.

2 lbs brussels sprouts
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c walnuts
1/2 c maple walnut vinaigrette
s&p

Preheat your oven to 400.

While the oven is preheating, cut the stem ends off your sprouts, and cut the sprouts in half.

In a large bowl or on a baking sheet lined with foil, toss your sprouts with the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast them for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through to make sure they cook evenly.

While the sprouts are in the oven, toast some walnuts. Place a skillet over medium heat and cook the walnuts until they're fragrant, about 30 seconds - 1 minute.

When the sprouts come out of the oven, throw 'em in a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Garnish with the toasted walnuts.

Maple Walnut Vinaigrette

Nothing says fall like the combination of maple and walnut. This salad dressing combines those with other elements of fall to create the perfect fusion of fall flavors. It's super simple and comes together in seconds.

1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c maple syrup (use the real stuff, not pancake syrup)
1/2 c walnut oil (this is available at stores like Whole Foods, as well as specialty kitchen stores. It's a little pricey, but worth it. If you aren't a huge fan of walnuts, do half walnut oil and half canola or safflower oil.)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
Salt & pepper

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, syrup and mustard. While whisking (or stirring with a fork if that's your steez), slowly pour in the oil. Doing it this way helps the dressing emulsify, which means it'll be less likely to separate later. Once all of the oil is incorporated, stir in the shallot and add salt & pepper.

This dressing will keep in the fridge for a month or so, but you probably won't have it around that long.

I like this dressing served over a salad with: spring mix, dried cranberries, diced apples and toasted walnuts. Seriously. Your tastebuds are moshing.