Sweet Potato Pasta

I know I've already raved about the sweet potato pasta and sage brown butter combination before. Sage and squash or sweet potatoes is so perfect though it deserves some experimenting. I think I've made a plain pasta with a sweet potato filling and I've made a sweet potato pasta.  And never have I tried semolina flour before.  Having semolina flour, a sweet potato and fresh sage from my mom's garden was like culinary destiny screaming to be fulfilled.

I'm not going to lie to you.  The ravioli was a lot of work.  A lot, a lot.  But it was worth it. There's nothing like the oozy filling seeping out of a filled pasta.  Using the remainder of the dough to make linguine?  Eh.  I felt wasteful tossing the two remaining sections of dough so made up some linguine and stored it in the fridge. I cooked it up a few nights later with some garlic, olive oil, mushrooms and peas.  It wasn't filled, it wasn't magical.   That's a lot of work for just eh.  Especially when you can pick up fabulous sweet potato pasta at the farmer's market.  That only takes 30 seconds tops. 

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Pasta

2 sweet potatoes
2 tsp dried sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 cup semolina flour

2 Tbsp butter
8-10 large fresh sage leaves

For Ravioli
1 cup ricotta (or mozarella cut into small pieces)
Remainder of sweet potato puree

Microwave sweet potatoes until tender.  Once the potatoes are cool enough to work with, remove the peels, and pulse in food processor with 2 tsp dried sage. 
Pour flours onto countertop blend in the salt and nutmeg.
Make well in center and add egg. Mix in the flour a little at a time along with 1/2 cup sweet potato puree. Use more or less flour as needed to make soft dough.
Let dough rest for 10 minutes.


To make Ravioli:
Cut pasta dough into 6ths and process each section through pasta machine--flattening to 4th or 5th setting.  You want a relatively thin dough since you will be pressing two layers together.
Lay one section of flattened pasta dough onto counter and fill leaving spaces enough to seal and cut each ravioli.  I used a sqaure of mozarella and some of the sweet potato puree.  Ricotta is more traditional but I was not up for running to the store.
Brush egg mixture around filling and top with another piece of dough.  Press firmly around the filling to completely seal.  Use rolling cutter to cut into squares. 

Brown butter on medium-high heat until it starts to brown. Toss in sage leaves and remove from heat.
Boil large pot of potted water. Cook ravioli for 3-5 minutes
Serve ravioli drizzled with brown butter and topped with freshly grated parmesan