Vegan Charred Eggplant + Ricotta Stuffed Homemade Ravioli w/ Arugula Lime Pesto

Difficulty: 4/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 1/3 (3 being spiciest)

Prep & Cook Time: 90 minutes
Servings: 3

The Challenge: Vegan Homemade Ravioli

Vegan homemade ravoli. Dudes. Dudes! Homies!! I'm so pumped to share this recipe with you. Ravioli is hella good, but it is nearly ever vegan. The dough is made with eggs typically and often milk. From there, the filling is nearly always cheese, meat, or some combination of vegetables and cheese. Sad vegans :(

Let's turn that frown upside down homies! I've created both a vegan dough and a vegan awesome filling. We are going with a combination of eggplant + ricotta cheese that you will love. The eggplant is charred in the oven then mixed with an almond + basil-based ricotta cheese. We wrap that between fluffy pillows of dough and cook them in water.

Dreamy eh?

But it doesn't stop there. Oh no, we then pile on some tangy and spicy arugula lime pesto for the perfect light sauce to complement these magical raviolis. Are you ready for vegan ravioli? I sure am!

I have to warn you this is not the easiest recipe for beginners, but it is hella fun to put together and will rival any non-vegan ravioli you've ever eaten.

Alright homies, let's get into it!

Ingredients:

---

Ravioli Dough

• 3/4 cup AP flour
• 3/4 cup white pastry flour (or sub with more AP flour)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbl of water
• 2 tbl olive oil
• 3/4 tsp sea salt

Ravioli Filling

• 1/2 cup almond basil ricotta
• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 tbl olive oil (divided into 1 tbl parts)
• 2 tbl fresh parsley, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Almond Basil Ricotta

• 1/2 cup blanched almonds (typically can find slivered, which I used
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbl lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup water

Arugula Lime Pesto

• 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil
• 1 cup tightly packed arugula
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbl lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbl olive oil
• 1 tbl nutritional yeast

Other

• grape tomatos, halved

---

Equipment You'll Need:

Cutting Board . Sharp Cutting Knife . Measuring Cups . Measuring Spoons . Food Processor . Large Boiling Pot . Rolling Pin . Ravioli or Cookie Press . Parchment Paper . Silpat (optional) . Baking Sheet . Medium Frying Pan

---

Before You Cook:

• Wash and cut all fresh ingredients
• Preheat oven to 350F

1. Cut your eggplant in 1/2 long ways. Brush on or rub on 1 tbl of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt + pepper. Place the halves face down on a parchment-lined or silpat-lined baking sheet. Place into the oven at 350F and cook for 40-45 minutes.

2. While the eggplant cooks, combine the flour + salt for the ravioli dough in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly add the water and olive oil while stirring with a mixing spoon. Mix until all the flour has been worked into the dough mixture.

3. Add some flour to a working surface and knead your dough on the surface for 8-10 minutes until the dough is firm and elasticy (that's a word right). Place into a bowl and cover in a dark cool place for at least 30 minutes while we work on other parts of the recipe.

4. While the eggplant cooks and the dough rests, place all the ricotta ingredients into a food processor and process for 10-15 seconds at a time. Each time scrape down the sides and reprocess. Do this 5-6 times until the mixture is broken down and no large almond pieces remain. Do not add additional water to smooth it down. Empty and set aside in the fridge.

5. During this time, I also quickly blend together all the pesto ingredients in the food processor. Blend until smooth and set aside in fridge as well.

6. Once the eggplant is done and cooled for 5-10 minutes, scoop out the insides. Mix the insides with the parsley + garlic for the filling.

7. In a medium frying pan, add 1 tbl of olive oil and cook the eggplant with parsley + garlic. Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until the water is cooked from the eggplant.

8. Let the eggplant cool a few minutes. While its cooling, form the ravioli dough. To do this, divide the mixture into 3-4 balls. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough until its pretty thin about 1/4-1/8 inch thick. You want to roll it into a rectangle. 

9. Two at a time cut holes from the dough with a cookie cutter or ravioli cutter. I used a circular cutter but any will do fine. Use a medium-sized cutter rather than too large or too small. 

10. Once you have two circles cut out, mix 1/2 cup of the ricotta with the eggplant mixture. Place about 1-2 tsp of the ravioli mixture into the center of the circle of one cut out. Use a bit of water around the edge of the ravioli and place the other cut out on top. Run your finger around the edge to seal the ravioli. Use a fork to press the edges to create the pressed edge. Repeat this process for all the ravioli until you run out of dough.

11. Finally, place the ravioli in a boiling pot of water for 3 minutes. Drain. Serve warm with pesto and grape tomatoes over top. Enjoy!

---

Vegan Huevos Rancheros w/ Spicy Black Bean Cakes, Plant "Egg," Avocado Crema, and Slowcooked Ranchero Sauce When eating vegan, for me, I like to draw inspiration from crowd favorites, though. I looked at that as an amazing opportunity to make my own vegan version of the classic Mexican breakfast dish. The dish literally comes from the words "ranch egg." It was a big hearty dish served in rural Mexican farms with tortillas as the base, eggs, black beans, and ranchero sauce (tomato-based red sauce). From there, the play on the classic dish has commenced with everything from steak, tomatillo sauce, corn cakes, and so much more being added. Well, I have yet to find a delicious vegan version. I have seen people doing a lot with veggies, but I wanted something a bit more in line with the classic. We focus here on a black bean cake that is topped with a plant egg, slowcooked ranchero sauce, avocado two ways (whole + crema), and finally tortila crisps on the top.   Aggregate rating will show here Serves 4 Ingredients: Slowcooked Ranchero Sauce, Vegan Plant Egg, Crispy Tortilla Strips, Spicy Black Bean Cakes, Vegan Avocado Crema, Avocado Slices, Lime Wedges, Fresh Cilantro,