I have a total cheat to making ravioli.

No, it’s not the same as making handmade pasta and I’ll never make that claim. But it’s pretty darn good, and it’s easy, while handmade pasta is not. If you ever want to make ravioli at home and don’t have the time or the patience or just want to make it easier, I have two words for you:

Wonton wrappers.

They are made of an egg dough… just like pasta. They cook quickly in boiling water… just like pasta. They cost about $3 for a pack of 50 ready-made ravioli pockets…. NOT like handmade pasta. All you have to do is scoop in the filling and seal them up. Did I just blow your mind? It blew my mind the first time we tried it. So yeah, I’m a total Cheaty McCheaterson sometimes, and I’m totally ok with that.

With tonight being Halloween and all, I’m posting one of my favorite ravioli recipes. The secret ingredient is a little bit of apple cider vinegar, which gives the filling just the right acidity.

Here’s what you need:

Filling:
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
3/4 cup ricotta
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, minced
Pinch of salt

Sauce:
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chiffonaded

Also:
small bowl of water
1 package of wonton wrappers (you will probably use half)
Salt and pepper (recommended: Jacobsen Pinot Noir Sea Salt)
More Parmesan

In a bowl, stir together all filling ingredients. Prepare a work station with the filling and a small bowl of water nearby, a plate to store completed raviolis, and an open space.

Lay out several wonton wrappers and spoon 1-2 tsp. into the center of the square. Use your finger to moisten all four edges of the wonton wrapper, then fold over into a triangle shape, pressing firmly to close the two open edges. Fold over about 1/4 inch of the dough on the open edges and firmly press again. Remove to a plate and repeat for all ravioli.

Cook the ravioli in boiling water for 3-5 minutes – they should float to the top when they are cooked.

When you are on the very last batch of ravioli, melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat (plate the ravioli in the meantime). Keep an eye on it the entire time – 30 seconds can be the difference between browned butter and burned butter. The butter will melt, then bubble a little, then become clear and then brown. Add the sage after the bubbles are gone, and as soon as the butter is visibly browned and smells nutty, remove it from the heat and pour over the ravioli. Sprinkle with more fresh sage, ravioli, salt and pepper.