Butternut Squash Soup with Spinach Ravioli

Butternut Squash Soup with Spinach Ravioli (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Total Time: 1 hour, Servings: 6-8)

Ingredients

·         ¼ tsp. ground cumin

·         ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

·         2 Tbsp. margarine

·         1 cup chopped onions

·         ¾ cup sliced leeks

·         2 ½ cups peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash

·         ½ cup dry white wine

·         5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

·         1 pinch ground cinnamon

·         1 pinch ground ginger

·         1 pound cheese-filled spinach ravioli

·         ¾ cup half-and-half

·         salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.      Cook cumin and nutmeg in a large saucepan over medium heat until lightly browned. Stir in the margarine and sauté the onions and leeks until tender.

2.      Mix in squash, wine, and vegetable broth. Season with cinnamon and ginger. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

3.      Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ravioli, and cook according to package directions for al dente.  Drain.

4.      With a hand mixer, puree the soup mixture. Blend in half-and-half and season with salt and pepper.

5.      Mix in the cooked ravioli just before serving.

I used two packages of tortellini (about 9 oz. each): one cheese and one spinach.  Since there was more pasta, I also increased the spices, broth, and wine to help keep the texture more soup-like.  Even though, I made these changes, I found that it was more of a pasta sauce than soup – the consistency is quite thick.  That being said, this is a pretty delicious recipe and quite creamy.  The sauce does not have an overwhelming taste of butternut squash and you cannot taste the onions (the cooked down so much that I couldn’t even find them!).  I do find that this needs a little bit more heat for me, so I have added red chili pepper flakes and cayenne pepper to leftovers to help amp up the spiciness.  This dish also reheats quite well.  I definitely plan on making it again!