Vermont Fresh Pasta~ 3 Fresh Ways

 Who doesn't love fresh pasta? I mean, really, even those carb-o-phobes out there.. admit it, you still love pasta. You can have some, but just portion it out, and if you are going to cheat, this is the place to do it.

Vermont Fresh Pasta is locally owned and run by 10-year restarant veterans. they are proud members of:

Which was started by the New England Culinary Institute.

Their blend of marscapone and ricotta for their raviolli is just the right blend of cheeses, of which the marscapone is Vermont award winning, and it certainly shows!

There is a retail shop list HERE

Let me start describing their ravioli as the freshest I have ever had. They are pillowy little clouds of heaven tucked away in a beautifully handcrafted semolina and durum flour.  I am more than proud to feature them on this blog, and will continue to do so as long as I am allowed!

The first one we tried was the Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Ravioli AKA Harvest Ravioli. I made a Creamy Pumpkin Sage Sauce to go with it, and it was a match made in heaven.

1 cup  heavy cream

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup fresh-grated Parmesan

3 Tablespoons grated Romano

10  fresh sage leaves, sliced into thin strips

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper

2 tablespoons  butter

Combine the cream, pumpkin puree, Parmesan,  Romano, sage, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer the mixture until slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Toss with cooked pasta and serve immediately.

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Second, was the Sun Dried Tomato and Smoked Mozerella which I accompanied with the Sundried Tomato Pesto that they had provided for me. Toss in some fresh basil and you have a superb side dish or lunch!

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Last but certainly not least is the one i was actually anxious about trying, since i am not a fan of black beans. Well, this has completely changed my view and it is the Curried Black Bean and Sweet Potato Ravioli, which is this months special.

Wanting something different I dipped the pasta in egg/milk wash and Panko bread crumbs and deep fried till golden. LOVE.

I made a Creamy Curry Sauce that I borrowed from Food.Com  The recipe is HERE and seems like alot of ingredients, but so simple to make.

*Vermont Fresh Pasta provided 3 kinds of pasta and the Sundried Tomato Pesto, at my request, for this blog. I was not monetarily compensated to write anything about them*.

Butternut Squash Raviolli w. Brown Butter Sage Sauce and Kale Chips

>Who doesn’t love pasta? I know, i know, all of you who are watching your carbs, i have a treat for you here also.
I was fortunate enough to have contact with one of the reps from Vermont Fresh Pasta, from Proctorsville, VT recently and she had a package of their ravioli shipped over to Anne’s Country Store in Plainfield, N.H, they already stock the pasta, so what’s one more? By the way, if you want a terrific sandwich, this place may look like a hole in the wall gas station, but they carry an abundant stock of local products and make the most wonderful sandwiches!
~~~~~The Gobbler~~~

I love the packaging, a nice box with a great design. The delights inside look very plump, no skimping on filling here! I also like the local ingreadients, aka, the Vermont Award Winning Marcaspone.

So, upon recieving my ravioli to try, and munching on my lunch, i started comming up with ideas of how to plan this meal. I didn’t want to kill the taste of the squash or pumpkin with a heavy sauce, so a sage brown butter would work, right? Of course i had to use Cabot Butter, it has a taste and texture that is perfect for a dish like this.
Also, something i had never tried but thought the texture might go very well with the soft pasta is Kale Chips. I truely regret not trying them years ago, as i have seen them posted on many many blogs. This was my chance to showcase the California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil i recieved also. (which, by the way, is absolutly fantastic!)

~~~~~Sage Brown Butter~~~
3/4 cup 1 stick Cabot butter
8 fresh sage leaves, torn in half
Finely ground sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Put the butter in a cold skillet and place it over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning in spots but without moving the pan, until it stops foaming and browns evenly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sage leaves and cook briefly until they crisp in the hot butter. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
~~~Baked Kale Chips~~~~ MY NEW LOVE~~
1 bunch kale
1 1/2 tablespoons California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 teaspoon sea salt, or to your taste
Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly. Drizzle kale with olive oil.
Layer on cookie sheet in one layer, if they overlap they wont crisp up. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, approx 20 min
I know i added alot of specific products here, which you could substuitute, but i recommend them very highly. The cream of the crop!
Oh, and by the way, the ravioli was so tender, a slightly sweet note thst went beautifully with the butter sauce.
Thank you for 3 wonderful companies!
And THANK YOU for reading!
Vermont Fresh provided the pasta for this recipe.
Californi Olive Ranch provided the olive oil for this recipe.