Everyone loves pasta. There’s just something about it with the carby goodness. For a special occasion (ahem, like Valentine’s Day), sometimes it’s fun to experiment with making your own. It’s actually not as hard as it sounds, so read on and you’ll see how easy it is. The Kid agreed to indulge me as I made a fun dinner for her to celebrate, right down to making my own vegan ricotta.
This recipe is loosely based on the Ricotta Raviolo with Oregano Butter recipe in the February 2017 issue of Veg News. Their recipe was pretty involved and included actually making the pasta dough, rolling it out, and more. That would be wonderful to try out, but I don’t have that kind of time so I took my handy dandy shortcut.
I’ve made ravioli before using wonton wrappers and that works perfect. No mixing and kneading dough, no rolling it out. It’s already done for you. Since this recipe called for making large ravioli, I immediately thought about the leftover eggroll wrappers. I only used part of them for my Baked Veggie Egg Rolls and I’d thrown the rest in the freezer for something else. Hello, something else!
Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli 
- 1 cup plain soy milk
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1/4 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 4 six inch eggroll wrappers
- 1 Tbsp pine nuts
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Fresh basil for garnish, optional
Mix the soy milk and lemon juice in a microwave proof bowl or container. Microwave for 90 seconds until the mixture boils and curds start to form. Let it stand for about 5 minutes to fully separate. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer so the liquid drains off and you’re left with the “ricotta” curds.
While the ricotta is straining, steam the spinach in the microwave for about 60 seconds. You just want to wilt it to soften. Chop the steamed spinach well. Mix the spinach, ricotta, yeast, oregano, and nutmeg in a bowl for the filling. Place half of the mixture in a small mound in the center of one of the eggroll wrappers.
Using your fingers, rub a little water around the edge of the filling to wet the wrapper so that it seals well. Place another wrapper on top and firmly press around the filling edges to seal the wrappers together. Using a round biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut the ravioli into a large circle and remove the excess edges.
Repeat with the remaining filling and eggroll wrappers. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently drop in the ravioli and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto serving plates. Top with the pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 2 raviolis at approximately 216 calories each – 7g protein, 20g carbs, and 12g fat.
Since we’re dealing with a dairy allergy, I used the vegan ricotta above for the first time. I’ve also used mashed soft tofu as a ricotta sub in recipes like lasagna and stuffed shells. If you are a dairy eater, you can use the real thing in this recipe and save a couple steps. I followed the idea from the magazine and made large ravioli which worked perfectly with the eggroll wrappers.
If you prefer, use wonton wrappers and make small ravioli instead. I still have a few eggroll wrappers left so I plan to try butternut squash ravioli for another variation. This made for a quick special dinner that tasted really good. As a dairy eater, I’ll add that I don’t think I’d have guessed the ricotta wasn’t dairy based, especially when mixed with the spinach and spices.
Pair it with a side salad and potentially a glass of red wine, and you’ve got a great meal that everyone will think you slaved for hours to make!
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