Halloween is coming — and this week Chef Johnny Vee shows you how to make use of all those pumpkins popping up on grocers' shelves as well as prepare a dinner for all your large and small goblins.

Making fresh pasta isn't hard. As you'll see in this week's New Mexican cooking video on etastesantafe.com, even kids can do it. In fact, kids usually love doing it! But, unless you have an Italian nonna tucked in your pantry, you will need a pasta machine to roll out the dough.

If you decide to roast your own pumpkin to make the filling, be sure to buy one of the eating varieties, like sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins.

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI WITH SAGE-BROWN BUTTER SAUCE
(Serves 6 as first course, 4 as a main course)

For the filling:
2 cups flesh from a roasted pumpkin (or canned pumpkin)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, finely chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
For the pasta dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 extra-large eggs
To assemble:
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
To serve:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons dry vermouth
Handful fresh sage leaves (about 20)
4 ounces (1 stick) butter
Freshly ground pepper

Make the filling: Combine pumpkin, pine nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well to blend. Chill for one hour so filling is firm when stuffing ravioli.

Make pasta dough: Quick-pulse flour in food processor to blend. Mix eggs together in a small bowl and add to flour all at once. With quick on-and-off processing, mix dough until a firm ball forms in processor bowl. Remove dough from bowl and wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Make ravioli: Roll out pasta dough according to instructions on your pasta machine. Use a small cookie cutter, ravioli form or small glass to cut circles for the ravioli.

Place 1 teaspoon of filling on center of half the circles. Brush parameter of each disc of dough with egg wash and place second piece of dough over filling. Crimp to seal ravioli.

To serve: Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil. Melt butter in medium saucepan and allow to brown slightly. Add sage leaves and allow to fry for one minute. Stir in vermouth. Set aside.

When water is boiling, gently drop ravioli in and simmer until tender — just until they float to the top of the pot. Remove with slotted spoon or mesh skimmer and drain for a moment.

Plate cooked ravioli and scatter Parmesan over entire surface. Drizzle hot browned sage-butter over ravioli, and serve immediately with freshly ground pepper.

SANTA FE SLUDGE
(Halloween Punch)

Apple cider
Black food coloring
Gummy bugs and snakes

Pour as much cold cider as you need to serve the number of goblins at your party into a large bowl. Add a few drops of black food coloring. To up the EEEEWWWW factor, drop in some gummy bugs and snakes.