Butternut squash ravioli with lemon butter

Tis the season for lots of holiday leftovers. After loads of parties and potlucks and family gatherings, I ended up with a fridge full of leftovers. Oh what to do with them all? Casseroles. Sandwiches. Yeah, those are the normal solutions. However, I'm a big fan of raviolis. For this dish, tuck any assortment of the winter squashes or even sweet potatoes into these pillows of pasta for something you can eat immediately of freeze for later.

Ingredients:

• 1 C baked butternut squash
• 2 stalks sage
• 3 T butter
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 C Parmesan grated cheese
• 1 egg white, beaten
• pasta sheets (you can use pre-made pasta or wonton sheets)
• 4 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
This started off as a side dish to a holiday potluck in which I mixed sage, browned in butter, into cubed baked butternut squash. This had about a teaspoon of salt to help bring out the saginess.

With the leftovers, mash with a potato masher. Then add the cheese and mix well.

Cut the pasta sheets into uniform rectangles (or squares or circles, whichever you prefer working with). Bush the edges of the pasta shape with the egg wash. Add about a T of the squash mixture to the center of the pasta. Fold over, pushing out as much air as possible. You can cook immediately, or place on a cookie sheet and freeze.

For a nice light sauce, melt butter in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the pressed garlic and saute till translucent. Add the lemon juice and reduce heat. Add about a 1/2 C of the pasta water to help make a gravy. Whisk thoroughly and server over hot pasta.

Spaghetti squash pancakes with olive and chard pesto

As a person who tries not to waste food, it always bums me out when I don't get proportions right and end up having to throw something out. That happened to me the other night when I made eggplant parm with spaghetti squash.

I ended up with leftover egg wash, flour dredge, and squash. Why not put them all together?

The resultant pancakes are great on their own, served with applesauce and sour cream (like potato pancakes), or with a snazzy pesto.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 eggs
• 1/4 C flour
• 1/4 C red onion, chopped
• 1/2 spaghetti squash
• salt and pepper
• 1 C cooking oil (you can use leftover oil from the eggplant)
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch chard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 C olives
• pepper
• 1/2 C ricotta cheese

Instructions:
Mix the leftover egg and flour. Add another egg and the spaghetti squash. Add the flour gradually to get the batter to the consistency of pancake batter.

Add the chopped onions and mix completely.

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a smal pan. When a drop of water sizzles in the oil, gently drop a large spoonful of the batter in the oil. After about a minute, flip the pancake over. Cook on both sides till they are golden brown.

Saute the chard in olive oil till wilted and dark green. Put the chard in the blender with the olives, garlic, and pepper. Blend till chunky. To serve, put a bit of ricotta on a pancake and the pesto on top of the cheese.