Chanterelle Ragout with Acorn Squash Ravioli

This recipe was created by Chef & Owner Daniel Joly of Mirabelle Restaurant in Beaver Creek, CO.

– Serves 6 –

Ingredients for Ravioli dough:
1 lb. all purpose flour
1 egg
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup water, or as needed
2 egg, yolks
salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients for Ravioli filling:
2 lbs. acorn squash
1 cup orange juice
½ cup brown butter*
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
honey, to taste
star anise, ground, to taste

Ingredients for Ragout:
4 Tbsp. butter
¾ lb. chanterelle mushrooms
(or other in-season mushroom), cleaned
¼ cup shallot, small-dice
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped, plus extra sprigs to garnish
1 small bunch chives, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

*Using brown butter intensifies the flavor. To make brown butter, simply heat butter in a pan until it begins to brown.

Method of Preparation:
In the bowl of a mixer, combine the flour, egg yolks and olive oil and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Using the dough-hook attachment at low speed, mix the ingredients. Slowly add water until the dough starts to come together (only add as much water as needed). Remove the dough from the bowl, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to rest for 1-2 hours. If possible, allow the dough to rest overnight. Preheat oven to 350˚F. To make the ravioli filling, cut the squash into quarters, remove the seeds and then place them in a baking dish, cut side up. Pour the orange juice over the squash and then drizzle with honey. Season with the ground star anise. Roast the squash for 45 minutes in oven till tender. Using a spoon, scoop out the meat of the squash pieces into a blender or food processor. Blend the squash with the brown butter and the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Remove the ravioli dough from the refrigerator and use a pasta machine to sheet the dough. Start with the widest setting and continue sheeting with progressively more narrow settings until the dough is ¹⁄¹6″ thick (the instructions with your pasta machine can help walk you through the process). If you do not have a pasta machine, you can use a rolling pin or wine bottle to sheet the dough to the specified thickness. Place a sheet of dough on a work surface and cut it into rectangles 2 inches wide by 5 inches long. Each ravioli will require 2 (2 in. x 5 in.) pieces of dough. One for the top side and one for the bottom side of the ravioli. Place about 2-4 Tbsp. of the ravioli filling on what will be the bottom piece of the ravioli, keeping the filling away from the perimeter edges of the dough.

Brush some egg yolk along the edges of the dough, around the filling, and then cover with the second (top) piece of ravioli dough. Press along the perimeter with your fingers or a fork to secure. Cook the ravioli in boiling, salted water just until they rise to the top about 2 minutes. Cook them in small batches to prevent crowding. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the boiling water and transfer them to a platter. Reserve. To make the ragout, heat a sauté pan over high heat and then add the butter and mushrooms. Briefly sauté the mushrooms until they are tender and then add the shallot and garlic, cooking until they are tender (be sure not to burn the garlic). Add the vegetable stock, chopped thyme and chives to the ragout and then season to taste with salt and pepper. To assemble the dish, serve the ravioli with the ragout in a large bowl or on a plate with broth on the bottom and on top of the ravioli. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.