Best Vegan Sweet Potato Ravioli with Two Fillings

Embarking on a culinary journey often leads to unexpected and delightful discoveries. In the realm of homemade pasta, the adventure of creating vegan sweet potato ravioli with two distinct fillings unfolded as an experiment. While initially contemplating sweet potato gnocchi, the path veered towards crafting delicate pockets of flavor-filled ravioli. The process was an exploration, a melding of flavors and textures to create a dish that resonates with both novelty and comfort.

The journey began with the creation of the dough, a fundamental aspect of ravioli-making. Simple yet essential, the dough consisted of a blend of medium to large sweet potatoes, all-purpose flour, and a dash of nutmeg along with salt and pepper. The method, a medley of cubing, cooking, and blending, culminated in a doughy consistency that formed the foundation for these delectable parcels.

Crafting the Fillings: Spinach-Wild Garlic Tofu & Mushroom-Smoked Tofu

The heart of any ravioli lies in its filling. Here, two distinct and delightful fillings emerged: the vibrant Spinach-Wild Garlic Tofu and the earthy Mushroom-Smoked Tofu. The former, a fusion of tofu, spinach, red and white onions, and a hint of garlic, exuded freshness and herbaceous allure. Meanwhile, the latter, a symphony of smoked tofu, mushrooms, red and white onions, and garlic, offered a robust and smoky essence.

The simplicity of their creation, a blending of carefully chosen ingredients, bestowed upon these fillings an amalgamation of flavors that harmonized exquisitely within the sweet potato ravioli.

Crafting the Ravioli: A Labor of Love

The assembly of the ravioli, though requiring a gentle hand and precision, added a layer of intimacy to the culinary process. The dough, now transformed into pliable pockets of potential, embraced the flavorful fillings. With a sprinkle of flour to ease the process, each delicate parcel was meticulously formed, filled, and sealed, creating tiny treasures waiting to be savored.

The cooking process, a dance between patience and anticipation, involved submerging these parcels in simmering water until they gracefully ascended to the surface, signifying their readiness to be relished.

After a few ideas, we settled on vegan sweet potato ravioli with two different fillings. I’ve never made ravioli. It was a total experiment. But they came out quite nicely.

Initially, I thought we should make sweet potato gnocchi, so that’s the dough we made:

Ingredients:

• 2 medium to large sweet potatoes
• 4-4.5 cups of all-purpose flour
• ground nutmeg
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Peel the sweet potatoes & cube them
2. Cook or steam until they’re soft
3. Let them cool a bit (but use them when they’re still warm)
4. Put them in a big bowl
5. Add the spices
6. Add flour as you go along- start with about 2 cups or so, and then add more gradually, until the dough has a good doughy consistency
7. Knead with your hands!

And now, onto the fillings. They are super easy and super delish!

#1 Spinach – (wild garlic) tofu

Ingredients:

• about 100g of (wild garlic) tofu – you can also just use plain tofu, or with some other herbs
• about 3/4 of a cup of spinach (we use frozen, then microwaved)
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1/2 small white onion
• 1 small clove of garlic

Directions:

1. Cut up the onion and garlic (you can use the other halves in the other filling)
2. Thaw the spinach (or use fresh)
3. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and blend with a handheld blender

#2 Mushroom–smoked tofu

Ingredients:

• about 100g of smoked tofu (if you can’t get smoked tofu, you could add a drop or two of liquid smoke)
• 250g of mushrooms
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1/2 small white onion
• 1 small clove of garlic

Directions:

1. Cut up the mushrooms and “fry” them in a non-stick pan. Usually, you do not need to add any liquid since we do this step to get the liquid out of the mushrooms (if they do stick, add a little water – no oil!)
2. “Fry” them until a good amount of liquid has been cooked out of the mushrooms
3. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and blend with a handheld blender

Next up, we make the Vegan Sweet Potato Ravioli!

1. For this, dust your hands with flour and take a small amount of the dough. Roll it into a small ball and then flatten it. Add about a teaspoon worth of the filling.
2. Close them up and gently fork the edges.
3. Small tip: don’t put them atop of each other as we did. They do stick?
4. Meanwhile, heat up a big pot of water. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer.
5. Add about 10 ravioli at a time, don’t fill up the pot too much.
6. Let them cook until they rise to the surface.
7. Then, let them cook for another minute or so.
8. Get them out of the water and rinse them under cool water.
9. Repeat until all of them are done.

You can of course add any sauce you like. We made a really simple one:

Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion
• 1 medium clove of garlic
• tomato paste
• water
• dried oregano & basil
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut up the onion and garlic
2. Heat up a non-stick pan
3. Add onion and garlic and a little water to keep them from sticking
4. Sautée for a couple of minutes
5. Add tomato paste (about 3-5 tbsp) and some water
6. Combine the ingredients until smooth, then add the spices (as many or as little as you like)
7. Let it simmer for a couple more minutes

If you want, add some nutritional yeast at the end instead of parmesan.

They were really tasty. The recipe should be enough for about 4 people because they’re mighty. Next time, we’ll try to make them lighter by rolling the dough way thinner. You could try that, too.

And yes, this is a recipe that takes up quite some time (about 1.5 to 2 hours or so), but it’s a special meal, not something for every day.

A Culinary Symphony

In the realm of gastronomy, the vegan sweet potato ravioli stands as a testament to creativity and culinary finesse. Accompanied by a simple yet flavorful tomato-based sauce, this dish embodies the balance of innovation and tradition.

While the preparation demands time and dedication, the result is a symphony of flavors and textures, a culinary opus worthy of special occasions. As the flavors linger and the experience resonates, the possibility of refinement, perhaps rolling the dough thinner for a lighter rendition, adds to the allure of future culinary escapades.

The vegan sweet potato ravioli, with its tantalizing fillings encased in a tender embrace, transcends mere sustenance, offering an invitation to indulge in a gastronomic celebration, elevating the ordinary to the realm of the extraordinary.