I've been trying to use more of the produce from my Bountiful Basket, as I just hate for fresh stuff to go bad. But there are only 2 of us, and only 1 of us is a true vegetable fan. So you can see the problem.
One benefit of winter produce, though, is that much of it -- root vegetables, especially -- keeps much longer than leafy greens. That gives me a little time to figure out what I want to do with some of it, when I'm feeling creative.
Over the last few weeks, I've had potatoes (both sweet and russet) in my basket. Just in the last month, I've gotten 3 five pound bags of russets and a couple dozen sweet potatoes. That's a lot of taters for two people!
The russets aren't really a problem to use up. Just in the last week, I've used them in roasted cauliflower soup and roasted corn chowder, and I'm planning to make a batch of potato soup sometime in the next few days. But, I'm the only one who will eat the sweet potatoes, and that's a lot them!
Yesterday, I decided I wanted to use some of the sweet potatoes and I was trying to think of something outside the standard baked potato to make. I've tried butternut squash ravioli and pumpkin ravioli and liked it okay, but that's not something I'd really order in a restaurant. And I've never made ravioli myself, except the kind you just put in boiling water, so I did a little research (thank you again, Google!).
I should say that I don't make dough as a general rule -- for bread or pasta. I'd probably actually enjoy it if I could just get over the mindset that it's too messy and too involved. I'll work on that.
So, I was both surprised and intrigued when I saw several recipes for ravioli using -- wonton wrappers! I can't recall ever hearing that done before, but it seems to be pretty popular with homemaking-ravioli folks. And the results both sounded and looked fantastic from what I saw online.
It just so happens that I have a couple of packages of egg roll skins and spring roll wrappers in the freezer, so I thought I should give that a try. (Egg roll skins are really just a bigger version of wonton wrappers -- I just cut my egg roll skins into 4 squares per sheet, which is just the right size).
I did a quick inventory of my fridge and pantry to see what I had to use for the sweet potato filling. Sweet potatoes, obviously! I also had onions, fresh garlic, asiago cheese, fresh parsley, and my well-stocked spice cabinet. I thought I could make a fabulous filling with those things. Then I moved on to sauce. Sage butter sounded great, but I didn't have fresh sage and didn't want to go to the grosto. I decided I'd go with an asiago cheese sauce -- I had milk and some cream left from the chowder. I also had some fresh spinach on hand, so it wasn't difficult to come up with the roasted garlic - asiago cheese sauce with spinach.
I was a tiny bit intimidated at the prospect of making ravioli -- it just seemed ambitious considering I'd never done it before. But, seriously, with the egg roll wrappers, it couldn't have been easier. Most people would think that making the sauce would be more nerve-wracking, but I always seem to make a perfect roux (knock on wood), and the rest is gravy. (Hee hee hee).
Some things I will note:
Wonton wrappers are usually round and egg roll wrappers are square. The shape really doesn't matter. You can make them round, square, triangle, tortellini-shaped -- it's not going to affect the taste. So pick the one you like and go with it.
Don't over stuff the ravioli! It can be tempting, because we really do want to fill that empty space in there. Don't. Do. It. If your ravioli is too full, when you go to seal it, the filling will squish out and the ravioli will break apart when you try to boil them. You don't want that mess! I put about 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of filling in each raviolo, and that worked out very well.
Make sure you seal the edges firmly. I used an egg wash using the egg white left from the filling and a little water. You can use just plain water or a mix of water and cornstarch. Just brush whatever you use as your sealant around the edges with your finger and a little in toward the center (I probably went in a half inch or so), then press the edges very firmly -- trying to get as much air out as you can without squishing the filling out the ends.
Finally, I recommend using a mild boil for cooking them. For every other pasta, a rolling boil is fine, but will filled pasta, that much boil could cause the edges to separate, especially if they're not sealed tightly. And you don't want to deal with exploding ravioli.
Now, on to the good stuff!
The How:
Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Ravioli with Spinach in Roasted Garlic - Asiago Cream Sauce
Ravioli:
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 C. onions, diced small
¼ C. grated asiago or parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 T. parsley, minced
1/8 t. nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
Wonton or egg roll wrappers (I used egg roll skins and cut each one into square quarters).
Roasted Garlic - Asiago Cheese Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 C. milk
½ C. heavy cream
1 cup grated asiago cheese (or parmesan or pecorino romano)
6 cloves of roasted garlic, pureed or mashed thoroughly
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 C. fresh spinach, torn into pieces
Cut sweet potatoes in half and drizzle each with EVOO. Place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, until potatoes are very tender. (You can also roast the garlic with the potatoes. Cut the top off of a head of garlic, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil, and place on the baking sheet with the potatoes). When potatoes are done, remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooling, heat 1 T. butter or EVOO in a skillet. Sauté onions over medium heat until they are nicely golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Peel the skin from the potatoes (the skin should come off easily) and place in a bowl, along with 4 cloves of the roasted garlic. Mash thoroughly or puree in a blender if you want the filling completely smooth. Add the caramelized onions, 1 cup of grated asiago cheese, the beaten egg yolk, parsley, nutmeg, and a little salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix well.
Beat the egg white left from the filling with about 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash. Place about 1 to 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each wonton / eggroll wrapper. Using your finger or a pastry brush, brush the edges of the bottom wrapper with the egg wash and cover with another wrapper, getting as much air out as possible. Press the edges firmly to seal.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let the water get back to a good simmer (not a rolling boil – this could cause the ravioli to break open). Working in batches, put the ravioli in the water, gently separating them as needed to prevent sticking. Don't crowd them in the pot. Cook approximately 3 to 4 minutes (about 1 minute or so after they float to the top). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.
Sauce:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the color is light golden brown. Add milk and cream, a little at a time, whisking after each addition. Cook and stir until thickened, about 4 minutes. Do not boil.
Stir in cheese, nutmeg, and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Spoon or ladle the sauce over the ravioli.
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