Thanks to a ravioli mold as the gift in his latest Raddish Kids crate, Travis was able to make fresh pasta for the first time! I love how Raddish’s recipes allow kids to step up to culinary feats like this, ones that might daunt even grown-ups. Note: we made everything from scratch today, but if you’re short on time, you can take a few shortcuts like purchasing vegan ricotta or a jarred marinara sauce.
Ingredients:
For the tofu ricotta:
- 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 (14-ounce) block firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the marinara:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 minced basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the pasta dough:
- 7 tablespoons warm water
- 1 and 1/4 cups flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the remaining ingredients:
- 1/4 shredded vegan mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons vegan Parmesan
- To prepare the ricotta, combine the lemon juice, tofu, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, nutritional yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender; Process until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To prepare the marinara sauce, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, and 1 teaspoon salt; continue to simmer for 15 minutes, then keep warm on low heat as the rest of the recipe comes together.
- To prepare the pasta dough, place the warm water in a medium bowl. Add the flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil, stirring until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup of the prepared ricotta with the vegan mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
- Divide the dough into 6 portions. Roll 2 portions into rectangles, and place one over a ravioli mold. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the filling over each ravioli square. Cover with a second rectangle of dough and use a rolling pin to flatten.
- The mold now flips over and each ravioli pops out. Raddish made this tool so intuitive and easy to use! Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook for 3 minuets, until they float to the top. Serve with the warm marinara.
That wasn’t all! The recipe card featured a few fun phrases in Italian to learn as we dined, including e delizioso, which hardly requires translation!