Method 1. For the pasta dough Sift the flour and ¾ teaspoon of salt into a bowl. Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl, then make a well in the centre of the flour and add half of the egg. Mix into a dough using your hands, adding the remainder of the egg if you need it. The pasta should just come together but shouldn’t stick to your hands – if it does, add a little more flour.
Knead in the bowl for a few minutes until smooth and then cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The dough can also be made in an electric food mixer of food processor, again being careful not to make it too wet.
For the filling Add the butter and olive oil to a large frying pan on a low heat. When the butter has melted, tip in the squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook gently for 15–20 minutes until softened and pulpy but not browned. Remove from the heat and blend to a fine purée in a blender or food processor. Alternatively, blitz using a hand-held blender.
Pour into a bowl, allow to cool, cover with a plate or cling film and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge, stir in the nutmeg and check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary. At this point you can cover and place in the fridge again until ready to use.
Divide the dough into four and put one piece through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and passing through until the final setting is reached and the pasta is almost paper thin and smooth. Alternatively, do this by hand using a rolling pin. Lay the strip of pasta out flat on a floured work surface, cover with a clean tea towel, set aside and repeat with a second piece of dough.
Spoon about 10 tablespoons of the squash filling, spaced about 4cm apart, down the length of the first strip. Brush a little of the beaten egg around each piece of filling. Lay the second strip of pasta loosely on top, squash the filling down a little and press the pasta down and around to completely enclose, squishing out any trapped air as you go. Using a ravioli cutter or scone cutter, stamp out the ravioli or simply cut out with a knife into squares.
Toss them in a little flour to prevent sticking, arrange in a single layer on a well-floured baking tray and cover with a clean tea towel. Repeat with the remaining pasta and filling mixture and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours) 7. Prepare the sage and pine nut butter when ready to serve. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and, when frothing, add the sage leaves, pine nuts and a little salt and pepper. Gently cook for 4–5 minutes until the pine nuts turn golden and the butter becomes nutty brown in colour, being careful not to burn either.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer with 1 teaspoon of salt and gently cook the ravioli for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, return to the pan and pour over the sage and pine nut butter, tossing well to coat. Serve immediately with a scattering of grated Parmesan, the rocket leaves and freshly ground pepper. Apdapted from Rachel Allen Home Cooking (Collins)
