Laptop Lunches #147

Leftover butternut squash and sage ravioli with maple cream sauce (recipe below), carrots with veggie hummus to dip them in, strawberry chunks, and grapes.

(I somehow inherited two pounds of strawberries from a party I attended, so this is some of them; I also did something kind of fun with them, which you'll see tomorrow.)

I had a package of butternut squash and sage ravioli in my freezer for a while, but I didn't find the traditional route (sage butter sauce) all that appealing, so I went another way.

It does taste better than it looks leftover at lunch! In fact, it was kind of amazing. I can't claim spontaneous inspiration (as there are people all over the internet talking about maple cream sauce for butternut squash ravioli), but I can claim creative improvisation due to lack of the usual ingredients. My version is still creamy and maple-y and super good with the ravioli, even though I had no actual cream (most recipes call for actual cream). I did find one recipe using cream cheese instead, but I didn't have the other ingredients it wanted. So here you are:

Maple Cream Sauce
Serves: About 3 over butternut squash ravioli

1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cream cheese (I used light cream cheese)
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup (Do not cheat! ONLY THE REAL STUFF!)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic cloves and cook until tender, about a minute or two.

2. Add flour and stir in well, then melt in cream cheese (you may need to do this off heat).

3. Slowly incorporate milk over medium heat, stirring constantly. When all the milk is incorporated, add maple syrup and cook until thickened.

4. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve.