Pumpkin ravioli is easier to find in the fall through the holidays, when the Halloween mascot is in season and on the minds of cooks. The sauce can also work nicely with any ravioli filling, but the pairing of pumpkin (or another sweet squash) with sage is particularly perfect, especially with the nutmeg and hazelnut flavors. This is truly a seasonal dish; to me, it tastes like autumn—even autumn in Southern California, where I’m from.

　　

Ingredients

4 main-course servings

　　1/2 cup hazelnuts

　　Salt

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1 pound fresh pumpkin ravioli

　　1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

　　6 fresh sage leaves, torn into pieces

　　Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　2 amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the hazelnuts on a large, heavy baking sheet, and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are fragrant and light golden brown in the center, about 7 minutes. Let cool completely. Rub the hazelnuts between your palms to remove the dark skins from the nuts. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the nuts just until they are coarsely chopped. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the oil, then the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float to the top, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a large platter and tent with foil to keep warm.

　　

Step 3

In a small, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the sage leaves and fry until they are crisp and fragrant, about 20 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the nutmeg. Pour the butter sauce over the ravioli and sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts and Parmesan cheese. Grate the amaretti cookies over the ravioli and serve immediately.

　　Cooks' Note

　　If you use ravioli with a different filling, omit the toasted hazelnuts and amaretti cookies.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.