I realize that recipe posting has been especially light here on Poor Little Rich Cook, but it’s not because I have decided I no longer like food. It’s also not because I decided I no longer like food blogging. It’s really quite the contrary! I love food (too much), I love talking about food, and I love posting recipes and taking photos of the things I cook. I promise you I’ll keep doing it until the day I croak. Or at least the week before I croak.
The truth is that the last 18 months of my life have been a bit hectic. Allow me to recap: three drastically different jobs, one (false) health scare, a few traumatic personal experiences, one stressful move across town and over TEN trips around the world. Both my inbox and my passport are full and I’m starting to wish my dog could double as a personal assistant. I don’t mean to moan but I simply haven’t had time to breathe let alone find time for creative outlets.
Unfortunately my day job does not afford much of an opportunity to leverage my artistic side, and as I’ve gotten older it has become more and more clear how important it is to me. I am not a professional chef, author, or trained artist by any means. Activities like cooking, writing, decorating and being a generally “crafty” person make me genuinely happy. So here is my commitment – I am going to try and write at least one post per week, but I do apologize if I fall short on this promise. Life will most likely get in the way again…sigh.
Ok enough complaining about problems that are relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Let’s talk about pumpkins. Tis the season. I will admit that the pumpkin craze annoys me a bit. When October hits you will immediately find 18 to 32 year old females flock to Starbucks for Pumpkin Spiced Lattes and to Bath and Body Works for pumpkin scented candles. See meme below:
You see… one bad thing that well-intentioned foodies do is get bored with things that are intensely popular. Because there’s this constant stream of food media coming in, with time the “hot new takes” on Brussels Sprouts begin to feel monotonous, the “cool new thing to do with cauliflower” can cause immediate, inward groans… and pumpkin spiced things? Woof, I’ll let them tell you: “America has gone entirely too far in its pumpkin spice devotion,” says Eater. “Pumpkin spice has ruined pumpkins,” says Alton Brown. The Washington Post has likened pumpkin spice lattes to “liquefied fall-scented potpourri.”
Despite all of this…despite my intense desire to break free of the Autumn- induced pumpkin spiced mold…I still love it. There- I said it. I love pumpkins. I love fall. I love Halloween, I love Thanksgiving, and I love everything that reminds me of pumpkins. So lets all rejoice in pumpkin praise and eat pasta filled with its delectable puree. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbs Butter $.20
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced $.20
- 1 15 oz can Organic Pumpkin Puree $2
- 1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 cup Pine Nuts $3
- 1 stick Butter $.75
- 32 whole Wonton Wrappers $6 – This is a huge timesaver and pasta hack guys!!
- 1 Egg, Beaten $.25
- Pepper To Taste
- Fresh Parmesan (optional) $.50
- 1 tbs Fresh Sage, Sliced thin $1
Total: $13.90
Instructions:
Melt 2 tbs butter, add garlic and cook a few minutes. Add the pumpkin puree, salt and chili powder. Stir and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool.
Toast pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat until golden. Remove from heat and pour the pine nuts onto a plate.
In the same skillet brown the stick of butter by melting it over medium heat, then letting it cook and bubble for an additional minute or so until the foam is golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the ravioli: Lay out half the wonton wrappers and put 1/2 teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture in the center. Beat the egg a splash of water. Using your finger, smear the egg mixture all over the surface of one of the wrappers surrounding the pumpkin. Place a clean wrapper on top, matching up the edges. Press the edges together and get rid of any air pockets, Repeat with the rest of the wrappers. Do this quickly as the wonton wrappers can dry out quickly.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. 3 at a time, drop the ravioli into the water and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and put the ravioli on a plate. Continue cooking the ravioli in batches of 3.
To serve, spoon a little browned butter onto each plate. Place 3 ravioli on each plate, then spoon a little more browned butter over the top. Sprinkle on toasted pine nuts, black pepper, parmesan, and a tiny bit of sliced sage. Voila!
