Homemade pasta easy and cheap

Detroit Free Press (MCT) - When it comes to making pasta dough, the ingredients are simple but the process is not.

Purists will tell you it's a labor of love. But making your own dough can save you money (it costs about 75 cents to make 1 pound of fresh dough).

If you plan to make your own dough for the recipe below _ Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce _ here's what you'll need to do:

To make 1 pound of dough, place 2-˝ cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in the work bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together 4 large eggs and 1 tablespoon olive oil. With the machine on, slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour until a soft, yet elastic dough forms. If the dough is too dry, add some warm water a little at a time until it starts coming together. Turn out to a lightly floured work surface and knead a few minutes and shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 1˝ hours or refrigerate overnight. You can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Don't want to make the pasta? Use pasta sheets or egg roll or wonton wrappers instead.

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BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH SAGE CREAM SAUCE

Serves: 4 (generously) / Preparation time: 35 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

1 medium butternut squash

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Ľ teaspoon black pepper

Pinch red pepper flakes

Ľ cup low-fat ricotta cheese

Ľ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

4 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

1 pound fresh pasta dough rolled out for ravioli (see above) or 1 package egg roll or wonton wrappers

1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water

SAUCE

1 ˝ tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large shallot, peeled, finely minced

ľ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1 cup fat-free half-and-half or regular half-and-half

1 ˝ teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage or Ľ teaspoon rubbed sage

Sage leaves for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel the squash, cut in half and remove the seeds. Place the squash pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until squash is tender. Place in a mixing bowl. Add the ricotta and Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, chopped sage and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mash ingredients together with a potato masher. Set aside.

If using egg roll or wonton wrappers, work with one sheet at a time, placing it on a work surface. Keep unused wrappers covered so they don't dry out. Use 1 sheet of the wrapper to make two raviolis. (Or, roll a quarter of the fresh pasta dough at a time to less than 1/8-inch thickness using a pasta machine. The sheets should be at least 4 inches wide and 2 feet long. Space out mounds of the filling and fold the sheet over. Cut into ravioli shapes.) Scoop about one heaping tablespoon of the squash mixture for each ravioli onto the bottom half of the sheet. Brush the pasta with egg wash and cover with the top half of the sheet of pasta, sealing edges. You can leave them square or crimp the edge; repeat with remaining filling.

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Prepare up to two hours ahead; cover and refrigerate until needed. They also can be frozen in a single layer and then transferred to freezer bags.

To make the sauce: Heat butter in a medium skillet. Add shallot and saute until tender and fragrant. Add white wine and bring to a boil until reduced by half. Mix together the half-and-half and cornstarch and slowly whisk into the skillet. Cook until the sauce thickens, 6-8 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the sage; keep warm.

To cook ravioli: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until they float to the surface and the pasta is tender. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon.

Place the ravioli in a shallow dish and drizzle with the cream sauce. Garnish with additional sage leaves as desired and Parmesan cheese.

Adapted from cooking instructor Dawn Bause of Commerce Township, Mich.

Nutrition information: 436 calories (28 percent from fat ), 14 grams fat (4 grams sat. fat ), 61 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams protein, 802 mg sodium, 57 mg cholesterol, 216 mg calcium, 3 grams fiber .

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© 2009, Detroit Free Press.