you know, most of the stuff i put on this blog is of a lighter, even frivolous nature, but i think its high time for me to weigh in on a serious topic. i’ve made homemade ravioli before, using fresh pasta sheets, and its definitely worth the effort. so i was apprehensive, to say the least, about attempting the new-fangled method of using wonton wrappers instead of real pasta, a la food network and gourmet magazines. this evening i took the plunge and made butternut squash ravioli with aforementioned wonton skins. it turned out pretty excellent, if i do say so myself, but let me be the first to say, wontons do not make a perfect substitute for fresh pasta. the texture and more importantly the taste, don’t quite have the same qualities as homemade pasta dough and certainly don’t cook the same, even if they are more forgiving in terms of overcooking. that said, they do make a pretty decent alternative, and as they tend to come precut, etc. they are probably worth it for the amount of time saved. one tip i received, and would like to pass along, is that it is important to seal the wonton wrappers with egg before you crimp the edges, as opposed to water as some might recommend. this is important as i think that water alone will not save the wonton raviolis from falling apart during cooking (another tip, i might add, is that you should never cook fresh ravioli in vigorously boiling water, as fresh raviloi is entirely too delicate for such violent preparation).

ultimately, i would recommend wonton ravilois, especially for those eager to step up their culinary game, but reluctant to spend hours and hours on one meal. but don’t think for a second that you won’t be able to tell the difference. purists and italian lovers are not the only ones who will notice the differences, subtle as they may be. if you’re going to all the trouble of making homemade ravioli, might as well do em proper like, right? i say, if you’ve got the gumption, go for the pasta, and save the wontons for the bamboo steamer.