Sage Sausage Ravioli with Pears and Apples and a Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce Recipe
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This is a whole new twist on ravioli. Yes a bit of work I admit. But a lot of fun and has an amazing taste. Savory sweet and tangy.
My Grocery store “Sweetbay” down here in FL has a meat counter and has some great speciality sausage, sage, apple, spicy, etc. I like the sage for this. The best part is you only need 1. I try to use the pears in season and a granny smith as I think it holds up best. These are a wonderful appetizer. I like to serve them at a dinner party with 3 on each plate, a drizzle of the gorgonzola sauce and a dollop of the current jelly. Sweet and savory, Most people can’t believe everything that is in it.
I like to make the filling and the raviolis themselves as well as boiling them and then dipping them in the bread crumb mixture, refrigerate so all I have to do the day of the party is pan saute for just a few minutes, warm up the sauce and serve.
For those who don’t use current jelly … keep some on hand. Mix with some garlic and jalapenos and white wine and it is amazing over pork or chicken. Use just as is for a simple glaze of pork, poulty and seafood. Great mixed with juice, olive oil and shallots for a salad dressing. It is a pantry item you must have.
Well I hope you try these raviolis. I don’t recommend as a full course meal as they are very rich, but as a beginning course, appetizer, party food they are amazing.
- 1 sage or herbed sausage, casing removed
- 1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced fine
- 1 bosc pear, peeled and diced fine
- 1/4 cup diced cranberries diced fine
- 1 small shallot diced fine
- 1 tablespoon diced fresh sage
- 1 cup of ricotta cheese
- 3 eggs (1 for the filling; 2 for the coating)
- 1 package of wonton skins
- 4 tablespoons butter (1 to saute onion and fruit; 3 to saute ravioli)
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- 3/4 cups finely chopped pecans
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 oz crumbled gorgonzola
- 1/2 cup cream
- 2 tablespoons white wine or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup current jelly as a garnish
- Lets pretend we are making this ahead of time … You can make it the night you plan to eat it, but why stress. So, first lets make the filling and the cheese sauce.
- For the cheese sauce, it is very simple. In a small sauce pan add the gorgonzola cheese, cream and wine or chicken broth and slowly melt the cheese on low to medium. Once melted, remove and set to the side.
- Now for the filling as the cheese sauce melts. Add butter to a medium size sauce pan and add the sausage, brown on medium heat. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Keep a little of the drippings from the sausage (just enough to cook the shallot in) and add the shallot and cook for a minute or two. Then add the apple, pear, cranberries, salt and pepper, and sage. Just enough until the apple and pear are soft. Remove and let cool.
- Add the sausage mixture to the fruit, 1 egg, and the ricotta cheese. Your filling is done.
- Now lay your wontons out on a cutting board. Keep your others covered with a damp towel … they dry out quickly. I like to make halves. I put a dollop of the filling in the center of the wonton then with a small pastry brush or my finger wet the edges of the wonton then fold on a diagnole to form a triangle. Press down to seal the edges well. Most importantly push down on the area around the filling, you don’t want any air bubbles. Just lay them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.
HINT: If you plan on making these well in advance or freezing them … Once they are dry sprinkle lightly with corn starch, you can stack them up together and they will not stick. - If using them the next day or so, go ahead and boil them. In a large pot of salted water, medium boil, cook 6-8 at a time depending on your pot size. Remove and set to the side to cool.
- Once cool make the crust. Add the bread crumbs and nuts together along with some salt and pepper on a plate. In a small bowl beat 2 eggs. Now dip each cooled ravioli in egg and then the bread crumbs. Place on a cookie sheet and cover until ready to pan saute.
- Remove the sauce from the refrigerator, and slowly heat up. Then lets saute the ravioli. Melt the butter in a large pan, non stick preferred on medium high. Fry 6-8 at a time till lightly brown on each side.
- To serve. I like to plate 3-4 on a small plate, top with the gorgonzola sauce and then a small dollop of the current jelly in the middle. The tang of the gorgonzola goes great with the sweet current jelly. This recipe makes a lot, but they freeze well for another time.
- A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN!!
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This sounds absolutely delightful. I can't wait to try it! Thank you for sharing it with us; I'll report my results when I get the chance to give it a go.