10 Pumpkin Dishes to Try in Houston: #3 Pumpkin Ravioli at Fratelli's

In 2010, I had a grand ol' time scouring Houston for outstanding pumpkin dishes. One year later I'm older, definitely not wiser, and still in love with orange squash. So from now until Thanksgiving I'll be counting down (again) 10 Pumpkin Dishes to Try in Houston. Forks at the ready!

#3 Pumpkin Ravioli at Fratelli's Authentic Italian Cuisine

If gnocchi are the "pillows" of Italian pasta, then Fratelli's pumpkin ravioli are overstuffed suede cushions.

Chef Teresa Wittman has garnered numerous accolades for her meticulously prepared Italian food, and this fall she's outdone herself with the ravioli.

Stuffed with wood roasted pumpkin, ricotta and parmesan cheeses, and fresh herbs, the ravioli are all rolled and filled by hand in-house. It's a painstaking process that gives rise to delightfully delicate pieces, none of which are exactly the same. (If you want uncanny uniformity in your ravioli, look to Chef Boyardee.) Laced with piquant bits of sun-dried tomatoes, the ravioli balance wonderful sweet fruit flavors and more savory olive oil and garlic tones.

The ravioli ($12.95 entree, $6.95 appetizer) is just one of the dishes comprising Fratelli's fall pumpkin festival, which also includes a fabulous pumpkin risotto and a lighter-than-air pumpkin cheesecake.

The Chocolate Bar may have dibs on the #7 Pumpkin Dish to Try in Houston with its pumpkin cheesecake, but Fratelli's offers a whole new take on this traditionally rich dessert via a lighter texture and almost citrusy taste.

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