Ravioli in Pumpkin Sauce — Vegetarian Camp Pasta

Pre-packaged ravioli dressed in a creamy roasted-pumpkin sauce with kalamata olives + artichoke hearts + a sprinkle of parmesan. The vegetarian camp dinner that feels indulgent but takes 20 minutes. Pumpkin sauce is the unsung hero — sweet, creamy, comforting. The genius cheat: cook extra pumpkin when you do a roast at home, store in the fridge, and this dinner becomes a 5-minute affair on day 2-3 of the trip. Recipe Card Serves 4 Prep 15 min Cook 25 min Method Camp oven Difficulty Easy Best for Camp + home Photo by Gina's Auckland on Unsplash Ravioli in Pumpkin Sauce Serves: 4 · Prep: 5 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes · Equipment: large frying pan + saucepan; potato masher Photo: Louis Hansel / Unsplash Ingredients ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil 1 small brown onion (~80g), finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 600g pumpkin (peeled), thinly sliced 1½ cups (375ml) chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian) ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ cup (125ml) cream ½ cup (125ml) hot water 600g pre-packaged ravioli OR agnolotti (ricotta + spinach is the standard; mushroom is also great) 1 jarred artichoke heart, cut into slivers 8 Kalamata olives, pitted Parmesan cheese, grated, to serve Salt + cracked black pepper Optional add-ins: 1 sprig fresh sage; pinch chilli flakes; 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley; 50g toasted pine nuts. Method 1. Sauté the onion + garlic. Heat HALF the olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook onion + garlic, stirring, until onion softens (3-4 minutes). Remove from pan + set aside. 2. Brown the pumpkin. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same pan. Cook the sliced pumpkin in batches (don't crowd) until lightly browned on both sides. About 5-7 minutes per batch. 3. Build the sauce base. Return ALL pumpkin + onion mixture to the pan. Add chicken stock + nutmeg. Cook, stirring, until liquid is mostly absorbed (5-7 minutes). 4. Mash + cream. Use a potato masher to mash the pumpkin mixture into a chunky puree. Gradually whisk in the cream + hot water until smooth + saucy. 5. Return to low heat. Stir until heated through. Keep warm. 6. Add artichoke + olives. Gently stir through the warm sauce. 7. Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the ravioli per packet instructions (usually 4-6 minutes — until they float). Drain. 8. Combine + serve. Plate the pasta + spoon the warm pumpkin sauce generously over. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Crack of pepper. Serve immediately. Photo: logan jeffrey / Unsplash The cheat — pre-roasted pumpkin The original recipe writer's tip + worth remembering: Plan ahead: when you do a roast at home, cook EXTRA pumpkin. Store the leftover in the fridge for up to 4 days. At camp: skip the browning step entirely. Just mash the pre-cooked pumpkin into the warm onion + stock mixture. Add cream + hot water. Done. Total cook time becomes 10 minutes instead of 20. Bonus: roasted pumpkin (vs the boil/sauté method) has a deeper, sweeter, more caramelised flavour. The cheat actually tastes BETTER. Tips and variations Ravioli choice: ricotta + spinach is the classic; mushroom is hearty; pumpkin ravioli (yes, with pumpkin sauce — double pumpkin) is brilliant; cheese ravioli for kids Sauce thickness: add more hot water to thin; reduce longer to thicken. Adjust to taste Pasta water trick: reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water. If sauce is too thick when combined, add splashes of pasta water (the starch helps it cling beautifully to the pasta) Pumpkin variants: butternut (sweetest, best); jap/kent (deep colour); regular grey pumpkin (perfectly fine) Sage upgrade: 6-8 sage leaves fried in butter (until crisp), add at the end. Italian classic with pumpkin Make it pasta-bake: pre-cook pasta, mix with sauce, top with mozzarella + parmesan, bake 15 min at 200°C. Different but excellent Vegetarian-friendly: swap chicken stock for vegetable stock Vegan version: swap cream for coconut cream + use vegan parmesan; choose vegan ravioli Camp version: works perfectly on a butane stove. Pre-roast pumpkin at home + transport in a container Leftovers reheat well — microwave on low or gentle heat with a splash of milk Our take The vegetarian camp dinner that feels indulgent but takes minimal effort. Pumpkin sauce is one of those flavours that pleases everyone — sweet, creamy, comforting. Pre-packaged ravioli is no shame; it's the smart move for camp efficiency. The pre-roasted pumpkin cheat is the move. Cook extra at home, transport in a container, save 10 minutes at camp. Same result, half the work. Shop Camp Cooking Gear

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Ravioli in Pumpkin Sauce — Vegetarian Camp Pasta

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