Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large dry skillet over medium heat toast the pecans shaking the pan frequently. Remove the pecans to a plate and wipe the pan clean.

In the same skillet, melt the butter and add sage and garlic. As it begins to foam, keep stirring and swirling the pan. At this point add the ravioli to the salted boiling water and cook according to the package directions, about 4 minutes.

After a few minutes the butter will turn from a lemon-yellow color to a light brown. A few minutes more and you’ll begin to see tiny dark specks starting to form on the surface of the pan, these are milk solids. Once you see the butter turning a deeper brown color, it will release a nutty aroma. This is when the butter is properly browned. (If at any point the nutty aroma smells like burning, or the milk solids begin to turn black, immediately remove from the heat.)

Turn the heat off. Remove the sage to a plate and discard the garlic. Carefully add 2 ounces of pasta water to the browned butter. Using a slotted spoon transfer the cooked ravioli from the pot of water straight into the butter sauce. Gently toss to coat the ravioli with the sauce.

Serve pasta garnished with crispy sage leaves, toasted pecans, freshly ground black pepper to taste, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese!