Cheese Ravioli with Pumpkin Sauce

I'm trying a new recipe tonight from this book. Let's see if I can make it as pretty as the picture and if anyone will eat it.


1/3 cup sliced green onions
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1.2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin
2 packages (9 oz each) refrigerated low far cheese ravioli
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Spray medium nonstick saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Add onions, garlic, fennel seeds; 

cook and stir 3 minutes or until onions are tender.

Whisk milk, flour, salt and pepper in small bowl until smooth; 

add to saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly Boil 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. 

Stir in pumpkin; reduce heat to low. 

Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package directions, omitting salt. Rinse, drain. Divide ravioli evenly among plates. Spoon sauce and sprinkle cheese, if desired, evenly over each serving. Serve immediately.

I plan to serve it with two different kinds of ravioli, my husband won't eat anything with ricotta and I could only find one kind of raviolis with out ricotta and I only bought one package because I didn't read the quantity needed before I bought the pasta. The other kind I will serve to the children and I also bought some shrimp to serve it with.

I was surprised the sauce is not overly pumpkin-ish. I don't like pumpkin pie so I didn't know what to expect, but it tastes very creamy and pretty similar to the Fettucine alfredo sauce I make. My only concern is the fennel seeds, they kind of taste like licorice.

UPDATE: I tasted the fennel/licorice when I taste tested the sauce alone, but with the pasta there was not a licorice flavor at all. I thought it was okay, both kids ate it but it was kind of bland.

What is your little victory today?

 Guitarplayingmommy,

Heather