I was never big on ravioli, even before I became a vegan. Aside from my mother's pumpkin ravioli, I much preferred spaghetti drenched in pesto. Even though making vegan ravioli with actual pasta is certainly doable, I wanted to experiment and make a more colorful, nutrient-dense dish.
You can serve these beet ravioli as an entrée, of course, but I picture them served on a large platter as a beautiful appetizer. (If you go this route, please provide your guests with forks! And thing involving beet juice probably isn't the most practical finger food.)
I suggest experimenting with the filling in these. Consider the filling ingredients below a mere foundation for your creative ideas. You can also play around with the size and shape of the beet slices. Perhaps fun shapes would tempt a veggie-wary child to try a few bites ;)
You can serve these beet ravioli as an entrée, of course, but I picture them served on a large platter as a beautiful appetizer. (If you go this route, please provide your guests with forks! And thing involving beet juice probably isn't the most practical finger food.)
I suggest experimenting with the filling in these. Consider the filling ingredients below a mere foundation for your creative ideas. You can also play around with the size and shape of the beet slices. Perhaps fun shapes would tempt a veggie-wary child to try a few bites ;)
YIELDS
12-14 ravioli
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- For the filling:
- 1 1/4 cup raw cashews (soaked for 2 hours)
- juice of one lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground rosemary (dried)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- For the ravioli:
- 1 large beet, peeled and very thinly sliced
- For the topping:
- 1/2 small avocado
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Directions
1. Prepare the filling. Roughly purée cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt in a food processor. Stir in rosemary and shallot. Set aside.
2. Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, thinly slice the beet and trim the slices to make them squares (more or less)--or whatever shape you prefer. (Save the scraps, and toss them on a salad or put them in your next fresh juice.) If you want your beet slices to be slightly softer, you can steam them for a minute--no longer. Remove from steamer and lay on paper towels to absorb excess water. Pat dry if necessary.
3. Roughly chop pine nuts and toast them in a small saucepan over low heat. Toss frequently and remove from the heat as soon as the nuts begin to turn golden.
4. Prepare the avocado topping. Mash avocado in lemon juice with a pinch of salt.
5. Assembly time! Lay half of the beet slices on your serving platter or plate. Scoop a spoonful of the cashew filling onto each slice. Make sure there's not too much filling on each slice--you don't want it to ooze out. Lay the remaining beet slices on the filling and very gently press down. Use a small spoon to place a dollop of the avocado filing on each ravioli.
6. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, hemp seeds, lemon zest, olive oil, and fresh cracked pepper.
2. Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, thinly slice the beet and trim the slices to make them squares (more or less)--or whatever shape you prefer. (Save the scraps, and toss them on a salad or put them in your next fresh juice.) If you want your beet slices to be slightly softer, you can steam them for a minute--no longer. Remove from steamer and lay on paper towels to absorb excess water. Pat dry if necessary.
3. Roughly chop pine nuts and toast them in a small saucepan over low heat. Toss frequently and remove from the heat as soon as the nuts begin to turn golden.
4. Prepare the avocado topping. Mash avocado in lemon juice with a pinch of salt.
5. Assembly time! Lay half of the beet slices on your serving platter or plate. Scoop a spoonful of the cashew filling onto each slice. Make sure there's not too much filling on each slice--you don't want it to ooze out. Lay the remaining beet slices on the filling and very gently press down. Use a small spoon to place a dollop of the avocado filing on each ravioli.
6. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, hemp seeds, lemon zest, olive oil, and fresh cracked pepper.
Related: Raw Vegan Ravioli with Sprouted Walnut Pesto
6 Nutritious Pasta Swaps You Should Try
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Photos: Mary Hood Luttrell
