No surprise, we’re sharing heart-shaped ravioli for the impending holiday. Valentine’s Day, when everything is about L-O-V-E. Actually one of my favorite days of the year. As if the shape of these pasta pockets aren’t enough, they’re stuffed with red beet pesto, too. Bleeding heart raviolis I might call them…. but only when noone’s listening because Matt didn’t even laugh when I said that out loud. Can’t win ‘em all!
They’re also lightly pan-fried in vegan butter but if you so desire you can use olive oil instead. Crispy and doughy on the outside, herb-forward and earthy within. We didn’t bother with sauce because we wouldn’t want to compete with the flavors. The vegan butter was enough to coat them. Also, a sprinkle of vegan parmesan or some shreds of fresh basil always does the trick.
Let’s say you weren’t the biggest fan of the festive heart-shape. Make these round using an upside-down glass, square by cutting even rows or half-circles by folding the dough evenly over itself. Depending on the size you cut your dough, you can get up to 40 raviolis, I’d say. We like to freeze them raw, laying them out on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a couple hours until transferring them to a tupperware to prevent them from sticking.
Just a tip: You can use cashews, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds instead of walnuts if that’s all you have. I wouldn’t use almonds.
Also, you can save some time by buying pre-cooked beets. Although Matt thinks homemade roasted beets give more depth of flavor. It’s your choice. We found them at our local supermarket in the produce section. One package of those bad boys were all we needed to cut the recipe time in half.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN RAVIOLI:
Vegan Red Beet Pesto Ravioli - crispy and doughy on the outside, herb-forward and earthy within. Stuffed with creamy homemade beet pesto and lightly pan-fried in vegan butter or olive oil then topped with fresh basil shreds.
- vegan ravioli dough
- 1.5 cups roasted beets peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves packed
- 3 cloves fresh garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
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Prepare ravioli dough in advance.
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Preheat oven to 400°F
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Peel beets and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 40 minutes (you can also use pre-cooked and peeled beets like these).
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Once beets are cooked, add them to a food processor along with all the other ingredients. Process on high until creamy and smooth.
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Using a small cup or cookie-cutter, cut ravioli dough into even shapes. Ball up the unused dough and roll it out again, repeat until you run out of dough. (You can also cut them into even squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.)
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Place a small amount of Red Beet Pesto in the center of the dough. This depends on the size of your circle. We used about a tablespoon of pesto for each heart.
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Spread a small amount of water around the outside of the dough with your finger. Place another piece of dough on top and press around the edges to seal. You can also use a fork to press and seal the edges.*
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To cook - bring a pot of salted water to a LOW BOIL. Drop a few ravioli into the pot to cook for 4-5 minutes. They will start to float once they're almost finished. Don't overcrowd your pot, cook them in batches.
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Meanwhile, heat a skillet with olive oil or vegan butter over medium-heat. Remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon and place them directly into the skillet. Crisp the ravioli in the skillet, flipping after one minute.
*To freeze for later: place raw ravioli flat on a baking sheet and into the freezer for about an hour. Once frozen, you can store them together in a sealed container in your freezer. To reheat, boil in salted water for 5 minutes.
Depending on the size you cut your dough, this recipe can make up to 40 ravioli.
