4 tablespoons olive oil or margarine, divided
3 tablespoons finely minced shallot or white onion
1 cup pumpkin puree (I recommend canned)
3 tablespoons nondairy milk
1 tablespoon sherry or sweet vermouth
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
pasta dough or wonton wrappers
pine nuts, to taste
several sprigs fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon vegan parmesan cheese
1. Make the filling. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 (2 tablespoons) of the oil or vegan margarine over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot or onion and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and cook until slightly dry, about 2-3 more minutes. Add the milk, sherry or vermouth, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 more minutes.
2. At this point you can save the filling and make the ravioli another day if you wish. To make the ravioli, use about 2 teaspoons filling per ravioli and seal the edges with water. It should make about 16 ravioli. At this point, you can store the ravioli by placing them on layers of wax paper or parchment paper in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a day or two if you aren't ready to cook them. Wonton wrappers may turn gooey-looking where they are in contact with the filling, but they should come out ok after boiling.
3. If you are cooking them the same night you make them, let the formed ravioli rest while you bring a large pot of water to a boil. Toast the pine nuts in a small dry pan over medium heat, shaking every couple of minutes until they are browned to your taste. Boil the ravioli 2-3 minutes, then remove and pat dry.
4. Dress the ravioli. Either wipe clean the skillet you used for the filling or use a fresh one (make sure it's roomy). Heat the remaining 1/2 (2 tablespoons) of the olive oil or vegan margarine over medium heat and add the chopped sage.
5. Add the cooked ravioli (leave plenty of room; do it in several batches if necessary) and saute for about 2-3 minutes per side. Plate and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and parmesan.
I'm planning to make a manicotti version of this in a few days, adding pureed silken soft tofu to the filling to bulk it up and give it a ricotta cheese-like texture. I'll let you know how it turns out.