Add an Italian touch to your meal with homemade ravioli a soft melt in your mouth pasta . As you bite into these pasta pockets you are greeted with a burst of flavour. These delightful pockets are filled with a mixture of earthy spinach and lemony feta and served with a light and creamy mushroom sauce. You will need semolina, flour, turmeric and water to make the pasta dough. Follow along in the recipe to see how it is done. Make extra ravioli and freeze it ready for another time.
INGREDIENTS FOR FRESH PASTA DOUGH
125g semolina approximately 3/4 cup
125g oo flour approximately 1 cup
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
100mls + 1-2 teaspoon spring water - lukewarm
MAKE THE DOUGH
* Warm the water until just warm.
* Place the two flours and turmeric powder into a food processor, process to combine the flours.
* With the motor running slowly pour the water into the food processor until the dough starts to come together and is sticky but not wet to touch. You may not need all the liquid.
KNEAD THE DOUGH
* Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface using 00 flour.
* Knead the dough until it becomes silky smooth, about 10 minutes.
* Shape the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
* Set aside to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
PREPARE THE FILLING
150g fresh spinach makes 95g steamed or 1/2 cup
(may also use frozen spinach thawed to room temperature)
150g soft tofu (lightly mashed)
200g non-dairy feta cheese (crumbled)
22g or 2 tablespoon pine nuts
10g or a small handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest or salted lemon (optional)
1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
METHOD
*If using fresh spinach lightly steam until wilted, drain any liquid.
*Place spinach in a large mixing bowl and add crumbled feta and lightly mashed tofu.
*Next add pine nuts, roughly chopped basil leaves, lemon zest and salt
*Mix ingredients to combine.
*Set aside while you roll out the dough.
ASSEMBLE THE RAVIOLI
*First you need to stretch and thin the dough
*Do this by setting up a stand mixer with a roller attachment
*Or use a portable pasta maker to roll out the dough
*Or use a rolling pin to roll out the dough
*Stretch and thin the dough using one of the above methods
*Once the dough is rolled out nice and thin you are ready to make the ravioli
*Once the dough is rolled out you can cut the dough into circles or squares.
*Place a small spoonful of the mixture in the centre of half the circles.
*Wet the edges of the dough with a little water and cover with another circle.
*Press the edges together firmly and seal either pressing around the edges with your fingers or using a fork.
*Or roll out a strip of pasta dough and place small spoonfuls of the mixture 3cm from the edge and 3cm between each spoon full. Brush a small amount of water along the edge. Fold the bottom of the pasta up over the mixture and gently press along the line to pinch and seal. Using your index fingers and thumbs press the dough together sealing. Now take a cookie cutter and cut out to form circles.
MUSHROOM SAUCE INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon light tasting oil or vegan butter
125g medium size button mushrooms, thinly sliced
65g brown onion or 1/2 a large onion finely diced
40g fresh garlic or 4 large cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon plant based butter or substitute
1 heaped teaspoon porcini mushroom powder
250ml or 1 cup flora plant cream or plant based milk
2 heaped teaspoons plain flour
salt to taste
Finely chopped chives for garnish
METHOD
*Heat a pan on medium to high heat, add grape seed oil then add mushrooms. Toss on high heat and allow mushrooms to cook and sweat down for 2 minutes add a generous pinch of salt toward the end of cooking. Remove mushrooms and set aside in a bowl. Keep some of the mushroom aside for garnish later.
*Add finely chopped onion to the pan and sauté until soft then add in garlic and continue cooking another minute. Remove form heat and add to the mushrooms.
*To a clean pan on low heat add plant butter, once it has melted add the all purpose flour and mix into butter with a wooden spoon.
*Leave the heat on low and slowly add the plant cream or milk, stirring constantly so the sauce does not become lumpy. To keep the sauce thin continue to slowly add more cream or milk while stirring.
*Next add salt and mushroom powder. Take a whisk and whisk these ingredients through the sauce, keep stirring, add more milk as needed to produce a thin creamy sauce.
*Add the mushrooms with onion and garlic to the sauce and stir gently keeping heat low let sauce simmer and thicken if needed.
*Remove sauce from heat.
COOK THE RAVIOLI
*Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
*Drop the ravioli into the water and cook 2-3 minutes or until they float to the top
*Drain and lightly Sauté the ravioli in vegan butter for a crispy finish or leave plain.
PLATE UP
*Arrange ravioli pockets on your plate and spoon over mushroom sauce.
*Garnish with extra pan fried mushrooms and chopped chives.
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