This homemade vegan ravioli recipe with an easy tofu and spinach filling is perfect for a cozy dinner! It requires just 8 ingredients, and is also gluten-free and oil-free, not to mention seriously tasty.
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To me, preparing homemade pasta of any kind is always so much fun. When I was little, I used to make a Russian ravioli variation ('pelmeni') with my family all the time, and loved it.
We would always take an afternoon to make a huge batch, freeze them and have week's worth of dinner ready to go.
Despite the fact that winter is long gone, comfort food season definitely isn't. I wanted to make gluten-free vegan ravioli because options that fill both criteria are quite hard to find in the supermarket.
Besides, homemade is always tastier in my opinion!
About these homemade vegan ravioli
The great thing about this vegan ravioli is that you certainly don't need an afternoon to make them. The technique is super easy, and you don't need any fancy equipment. I successfully make these in under 30 minutes.
It did take a few attempts to get the dough 'right'. Vegan ravioli in itself isn't that difficult with ordinary flour, but gluten-free is much trickier.
I found rice flour to work better for keeping their shape than store-brought gluten-free flour blends.
The bright orange color comes from turmeric, which doesn't interfere with the taste at all, but makes them super aesthetically pleasing. Gourmet meal vibes in under 30 minutes? Yes please!
I have to warn that because they are both gluten-free and oil-free, they don't taste like 'traditional' ravioli. But, they're a healthy and allergy friendly alternative, taste amazing and are non-vegan approved nonetheless!
Gluten-free vegan ravioli dough ingredients
- Rice flour. I've used other flour varieties, and this one gets the best results.
- Cornstarch.
- Salt.
- Turmeric. This is completely optional, but I looove the colour.
- Water.
What filling should I use?
Speaking of the filling, the one I used here is a super simple one with tofu and spinach. I love the texture and the fact that you need just a small amount of ingredients to make it really flavourful. Also, if you have any left over, you can keep it in the fridge to eat by itself or use in other recipes.
However, the great thing is that ravioli is a super versatile recipe. Once you've made the dough, you can try a range of options to see what you like best. Some of my other favorites include
- Vegan cheese
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Tempeh
- Beans and lentils
- Potato
- Berries (yes, sweet ravioli is totally a thing!)
- Pumpkin
- Various nuts and seed
To serve homemade vegan ravioli, I usually use soy yogurt in place of sour cream, a simple tomato sauce, pea and avocado pesto or chunky guacamole.
Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1: Add water to a non-stick saucepan together with the turmeric. Bring to a simmer, then add the flour, cornstarch and salt. Stir until a stretchy dough forms. Remove and set aside to cool for around 10 minutes, using this time to prepare the filling.
STEP 2: To make the filling, add the spinach, tofu and onion to a non-stick frying pan. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens, then add the black pepper and tamari, stirring briefly to mix everything together.
STEP 3: Roll out the dough into a thin roughly square layer, about ⅛-1/4 inch in thickness. If the layer of dough is too small for your work surface, divide it into 2 and repeat the process twice. Mark an equal amount of scores along each edge of the dough, and use them as guidance to cut the dough so that a 'grid' forms (see the photos below).
STEP 4: Place small dollops of the filling on every square in alternating rows, making sure to leave plenty of room around the edges. Then, use the empty squares to cover the filling and press down the edges using either your fingers or a fork.
STEP 5: Transfer them to a baking sheet and prepare a pot of lightly boiling water. Cook them in small batches for around 2-3 minutes, until they float to the surface. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon, and enjoy!
Other easy vegan dinner recipes
- Simple pasta bake with tofu
- Winter black bean salad with rice and kale
- Coconut vegetable and mushroom stir-fry
- Butter bean sweet potato stew
- Chickpea quinoa salad with pumpkin
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Frying pan
- Large chopping board
Ingredients
Ravioli dough
- ½ cup water , + 2 tbsp
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup rice flour
- 4 teaspoon cornstarch
Spinach and tofu filling
- 1 ½ cups spinach, chopped
- 4 oz firm tofu, crumbled
- ½ medium onion, chopped
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Add water to a non-stick saucepan together with the turmeric. Bring to a simmer, then add the flour, cornstarch and salt. Stir until a stretchy dough forms. Remove and set aside to cool for around 10 minutes, using this time to prepare the filling.
Filling
- To make the filling, add the spinach, tofu and onion to a non-stick frying pan. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens, then add the black pepper and tamari, stirring briefly to mix everything together.
Assemble the ravioli
- Roll out the dough into a thin roughly square layer, about ⅛-1/4 inch in thickness. If the layer of dough is too small for your work surface, divide it into 2 and repeat the process twice. Mark an equal amount of scores along each edge of the dough, and use them as guidance to cut the dough so that a 'grid' forms (see the instruction photos).
- Place small dollops of the filling on every square in alternating rows, making sure to leave plenty of room around the edges. Then, use the empty squares to cover the filling and press down the edges using either your fingers or a fork.
- Transfer them to a baking sheet and prepare a pot of lightly boiling water. Cook them in small batches for around 2-3 minutes, until they float to the surface. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
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