I made this cracker ravioli on a cold, grey afternoon when the heating hadn’t quite kicked in yet and I was craving something cosy but dramatic. You know those days when cooking becomes the plan — not the chore, not the in-between thing — the thing. I wanted a kitchen that smelled like roasted squash and sage, wanted to smear pasta dough across the counter like an artist having a small breakdown. And I got it.
This recipe is a little bit chaos, a little bit ceremony. You roast a whole tray of butternut squash with ricotta until it’s blistered and golden and makes your house smell like a forest picnic. Then you mash it all together — chestnuts, Parmesan, nutmeg, the works — and wrap it up in spinach-speckled pasta sheets shaped like little crackers. There’s butter. There’s clementine. There’s toasted almonds on top like Christmas came early.
Honestly, I took one bite and thought, oh god, I’m gonna have to make this again next weekend.
Why You’ll Love It
- Filling roasts while you lounge — minimal stress, maximum smell
- That sweet-savoury chestnut-squash combo? Honestly unfair
- The clementine butter sauce is pure witchcraft
- They freeze well, so future you will love you
- It’s meatless but feels indulgent — even the carnivores were quiet
- Toasted almonds on top = that necessary crunch
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash (about 1.2kg)
- 250g ricotta cheese
- ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes
- 1 whole nutmeg (just a few grates)
- Olive oil
- 200g vac-packed chestnuts
- ½ bunch fresh sage (about 15g)
- 20g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
For the pasta:
- 1 batch royal pasta dough
- 75g baby spinach
- Semolina (for dusting)
For the sauce:
- 100g unsalted butter
- Juice of 4 clementines
To serve:
- 50g skin-on almonds, toasted and crushed
How to Make It
Roast now, thank yourself later:
Preheat your oven to 180°C. Chop your squash into big chunks (skin on is fine), toss it in a tray with the ricotta, chilli flakes, salt, pepper, and a few shavings of nutmeg. Drizzle with oil. Roast for 1 hour while you make tea and try not to open the oven every 5 minutes.
Add the fun stuff:
Crumble in chestnuts and scatter in whole sage leaves. Drizzle a little more oil (you know the vibe) and roast for another 15 minutes until everything looks caramelised and slightly unruly. Let it cool, then mash it all up with grated Parmesan. Taste it. Dance a little. Set aside.
Make the green dough:
Blitz the spinach and egg yolks together in a food processor, then add your dry pasta ingredients and whizz to a dough. Wrap it up and chill for 30 minutes. Go read something, or scroll aimlessly.
Roll and fill like a pasta goblin:
Cut the dough in half, then again, and roll one piece out until it’s about 2mm thick. Cut into rectangles (15x12cm-ish). Add a generous stripe of filling along the edge, dampen the edges, then roll and pinch the sides like a wrapped sweet. They should look charmingly odd.
Toast your almonds now:
Do this while the crackers rest. Dry pan, low heat, no distractions. Stir often. Burnt nuts are the saddest kitchen mistake.
Make that buttery clementine magic:
Melt butter in a pan, let it foam and brown a bit, then squeeze in the clementine juice. It’ll hiss and smell like citrus heaven. Season with pepper. Keep it warm, low and slow.
Cook the pasta & bring it all together:
Boil the crackers for 3–4 minutes in salted water. Transfer to the butter sauce with a splash of cooking water. Swirl gently, toss more if you’re feeling theatrical.
Plate and praise yourself:
Top with more Parmesan, grated nutmeg, and the toasted almonds. Serve immediately — these aren’t leftovers. They’re a moment.
Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them
Why is my filling too wet?
Could be the squash wasn’t roasted long enough. Make sure it’s properly golden and slightly dry-looking before you mash.
My pasta is tearing!
You might be rolling it too thin — or overfilling. Keep the sheet even and the filling spaced.
The sauce split. Help.
Too hot, too fast. Keep the butter on a low heat, and add the citrus slowly.
Why are my almonds bitter?
They’re burned. Stir constantly, toast low and slow. If they smell like popcorn, it’s time.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: Uncooked ravioli keep well for 2 days on semolina-dusted paper.
- Freezer: Freeze flat, then bag ‘em up. Boil straight from frozen, just add 1–2 minutes.
- Microwave: Not ideal — the butter sauce doesn’t like it. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water or more butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the spinach in the dough?
Totally. Just makes it a little prettier — sage dough is lovely too.
Don’t have clementines?
Use a sweet orange or even a dash of lemon and honey. Still fab.
No pasta machine — am I doomed?
Nope! Rolling pin works fine. Just aim for thin, even sheets.
What if I hate chestnuts?
Swap for cooked lentils or mushrooms. Still hearty, still good.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
- Calories: 590
- Fat: 32g
- Carbs: 58g
- Protein: 18g
- Sodium: 410mg
- Sugar: 9g
Jamie Oliver Cracker Ravioli Pasta Recipe
Description
Cosy, sweet-savory cracker ravioli filled with roasted squash and chestnuts, finished in a dreamy clementine butter sauce.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Roast squash, ricotta, chilli, nutmeg, oil at 180°C for 1 hr.
- Add chestnuts and sage, roast 15 mins more. Cool and mash with Parmesan.
- Make pasta dough with spinach and chill for 30 mins.
- Roll out thin, cut rectangles, fill and roll like crackers.
- Toast almonds in a dry pan.
- Melt butter, add clementine juice and pepper for sauce.
- Boil crackers 3–4 mins, toss in sauce with pasta water.
- Serve with almonds, nutmeg, Parmesan.
Notes
- Don’t overfill the crackers — they’ll burst.
- Freeze extras flat on a tray first.
- Sauce can be made ahead and gently reheated.
- Almonds toast fast — stir constantly.