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Home Made Spinach & Squash Ravioli with Smoked Chicken and Broccoli

Home made pasta is really pretty simple to make as long as you have a pasta roller. The hand-crank ones are very easy and really the process takes very little time. Use your kitchen scale for weighing the flour.

What you need

  1. 1 recipe whole wheat pasta
  2. 1 dumpling squash (or 1/4 butternut squash or 1/2 acorn squash)
  3. 1 16oz. package frozen chopped spinach
  4. 1 clove garlic, minced
  5. Ricotta cheese (amount will vary)
  6. 2-4 Tablespoons grated romano cheese
  7. 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
  8. salt & pepper
  9. 2 smoked chicken thighs or about 2 cups smoked or unsmoked cooked chicken
  10. 4 cups chicken broth
  11. 3-6 broccoli stems (save the stems when you use the florets - they are great in soups and in this sauce)
  12. 2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade
  13. Olive oil

How to make it

  1. Make pasta according to the recipe up to the point prior to cutting. You'll use the sheets, folded over to make the ravioli.
  2. Preheat oven to 400º
  3. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and rub well inside and out with olive oil
  4. Place on a baking sheet and bake until very soft when pierced with a knife
  5. Remove and allow to cool
  6. Thaw spinach and place it in a dish cloth - twist the ends together to wring out as much moisture as possible
  7. When squash is cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a bowl avoiding any fibrous parts
  8. Mash the squash with a fork or potato masher
  9. Add the spinach and enough ricotta cheese to make a stiff paste
  10. Add the garlic, nutmeg, romano cheese, salt and pepper
  11. Chill until ready to use
  12. Take one of the pasta sheets and place onto a lightly floured surface
  13. Place spoonfuls of filling about 1/2 inch apart along one side of pasta sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch on open side
  14. Gently fold sheet over to cover the filling
  15. Pressing from the folded side of the pasta sheet, press out the air and seal all around the filling out to the open edge
  16. If you have one, use a sealing tool around the filling to create pillows
  17. If you don't have a sealing tool, cut the ravioli apart, trim off excess dough and then use the tines of a fork to press the edges together and seal
  18. Place onto a floured towel on a baking sheet, or a plate with plastic wrap dusted with flour - sprinkle with a little more flour
  19. Repeat with remaining pasta sheets
  20. In a saucepan, heat 4 cups chicken broth until boiling
  21. Peel fibrous outer skin from broccoli stems and cut centers across thinly
  22. Place broccoli pieces into boiling broth and reduce heat to simmer
  23. Slice chicken into very thin strips and add to broth
  24. Cook until broccoli is tender
  25. Add basil chiffonade just before serving
  26. Cook ravioli in boiling salted water for 5 - 8 minutes
  27. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon olive oil in a shallow bowl
  28. Add approximately 6-8 ravioli
  29. Ladle chicken broth over ravioli and serve hot

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