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This is my daughter’s favorite dinner recipe—comfort food at its best with its rich, creamy sauce and a hint of sweetness from Vermont maple syrup. I always know she’ll be home for dinner when I make her this butternut squash ravioli with maple cream sauce.
This butternut squash ravioli with maple cream sauce recipe is one of our favorite dinner recipes to have in the fall and winter. Its creamy sauce and pasta make for the perfect comfort food. If you omit the sausage in this recipe, try pairing it with these Country Baby Back Ribs and a side salad.
Recipe short cut
You can find pre-made butternut squash ravioli in your local grocery store. I use the Rana brand ravioli, and I prefer it to frozen ravioli. But if you have time on your hands and prefer homemade butternut squash ravioli, there are many recipes on Pinterest – check out Salt and Baker’s homemade ravioli recipe.
This recipe uses Italian sausage, but you can certainly make it vegetarian by not using any meat, or if you prefer seafood, add sauteed sea scallops to this recipe. Occasionally I add a couple of handfuls of fresh baby spinach to my sauce, adding a little color and more nutrients to the dish. That is one of the benefits to most recipes, especially in cooking, less so in baking, if you like little red pepper or another ingredient, add it. Make it your own!
Cooking Tips for Butternut squash ravioli
with maple Cream Sauce
- Cook the sausage and add your light cream to the pan. Bring the cream up to a low simmer on medium-low heat, then simmer uncovered, stirring frequently. Your sauce will naturally thicken. Here you’ll see I use a meat chopper by OXO to break up the meat and to stir it. I works so much better than trying to break the meat up with a spoon. You can get it here!
- Once your sauce has started to thicken, turn your burner off, then add your cheddar cheese. Turning the heat off will help make sure your cream sauce does not separate.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add a little milk to it to thin it back out. It will slightly thicken as it cools.
Farm to Table
- The sausage in this recipe is from a pig we had purchased from our friend. I have the butcher, another local friend, make up Italian sausage because I cook with it often. The sausage comes in one-pound packages and is perfect to use in a recipe like this.
- Do you know a local farmer who sells raw milk? If you do, buy a couple of gallons. Put it into 2-quart glass canning jars or a clear jar with a spigot. Let the milk sit for about 12-24 hours – the cream will rise to the top. You can ladle the cream off and use it in this recipe. Use the remainder of the milk for drinking, make pudding, or pour over cereal.
Recipe Health Benefits
- Butternut Squash
- Rich in Antioxidants (can reduce the risk of cancer)
- High in Vitamin A (eye health, cell health, fetal health)
- High Vitamin C (immune function, tissue repair)
- Protect against heart disease
- See complete health benefits of butternut squash
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Maple Cream Sauce
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- colander
- large deep saute pan
Ingredients
- 1 package butternut squash ravioli
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 16 oz light cream
- 2-3 tbsp real maple syrup, more to taste
- 1 tsp thyme
- ¾ cup Cabot shredded cheddar cheese or Cabot Shredded Mac and Cheese
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups baby spinach, optional
Instructions
- In a large sautee pan, add olive oil and sausage. Break your sausage up into small pieces with a meat chopper. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently to cook the sausage until browned.
- Meanwhile, start your water for your pasta according to the directions.
- Once the sausage is nearly done cooking, drain the fat from the pan. Add the garlic, stir, and simmer for a couple of minutes to cook the garlic and finish cooking the sausage. Turn heat on low.
- Add the light cream, maple syrup, thyme, and pepper to your sausage. Simmer on low, stirring frequently.
- Once the cream sauce has started to thicken, reduced by about 1/4, turn the heat off and add the cheese. Stir to incorporate, add salt and pepper to taste, and cover.
- Cook the ravioli according to the directions. Drain, add to the cream sauce, and stir gently to coat. Serve immediately.