Ravioli di zucca or butternut squash ravioli tossed with sage butter sauce ($11)? Somehow, the English description of this dish at Mingalone Italian Bar & Grill (540 Texas Avenue, 713-223-0088) sounds a lot better than the Italian. Nothing, however, can fully describe the splendor of the six large homemade, misshapen ravioli encircling thin strips of zucchini and carrots sprouting from the center of the plate. A cream-colored sauce covers all — the bright orange interior of the ravioli revealing itself only after you’ve sunk your fork in for the first bite. While sage normally imparts a robust flavor, here it stays in the background exuding a mere hint of its musty mint taste.
This article appears in Jan 17-23, 2002.