Vegan Megaroli, Over sized ravioli made from scratch...

 Vegan megarolis are over-sized raviolis we made from scratch filled with tofu ricotta cheese, toasted walnuts, and spinach topped with a cream sauce of almond milk, fresh tomatoes, and white wine.  We sprinkled them with parmesan and had asparagus sauteed in olive oil and orange juice on the side.  We made this a few days ago and I did not write it all down so these are kind of ball park figures. The ricotta recipe is based on the tofu ricotta recipe in the Veganomicon.  The recipe is as follows...

The Pasta

1 cup Semolina flour
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP olive oil
3/4 cup water

1. Combine dry ingredients in bowl, then empty on to clean surface and make a well.
2. Pour water and olive oil into well.
3. Combine and knead dry and wet ingredients until smooth and a little elastic.  You may have to add a little more flour or water so that it is not to dry or to wet.
4. Let rest beneath damp cloth for at least a 1/2 an hour.

The Filling

1 package of tofu
3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP Basil
1-2 tsp sugar
2 TBSP brewers yeast
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch wilted spinach
1/4 cup toasted walnuts chopped

1. Toast walnuts, then pulse in food processor a few times.
2. Wilt spinach in hot water, cool and ring it out.

3. Drain tofu, then mash it in a bowl.
4. Combine tofu, oil, basil, sugar, yeast, and lemon well, but also still a little chunky.
5. Fold in walnuts and spinach gently.  Adjust seasonings add salt and pepper.

Making raviolis is easiest with a pasta maker but my daughter actually rolled these out by hand because we thought most people don't have a pasta maker and we wanted to see how they would come out.  Cut the dough into about 6 pieces and shape each piece into a rectangle.  Roll them out as thin as you can aiming for a little thinner then 1 16th of inch.  Place several  piles of filling on one 1/2 of the rectangle.  Make a slurry with flour and water and coat the area between fillings. Fold your rectangle over.  Press seams together.  Cut them with a knife or pizza cutter.


The Sauce

3 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP flour
1 cup of almond milk
2 fresh tomatoes diced
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste

*  It is best to have all the ingredients ready for this so that you can throw them all in really fast.

1. Saute  mashed garlic in olive oil briefly
2. Add flour and stir until smooth.
3. Pour in almond milk while stirring constantly.
4. Add white wine and salt and pepper.
5. Add tomatoes and reduce briefly until thick enough to cling to pasta.

For Asparagus

1. Slice asparagus into 3 inch long pieces at an angle.
2. Get olive oil hot in pan.
3. Add asparagus salt and pepper.
4. Saute briefly until just getting bright green.
5. Splash with orange juice and saute until it is not juice but more a coating on  the asparagus.


For the parmesan I just pulsed some left over baguette with a handful of toasted walnuts and brewers yeast.

To assemble boil raviolis for 10 to 12 minutes, drain, cover with sauce and parmesan and serve with asparagus on the side.  You can freeze any left over ravioli and I had the sauce on bow ties the next day.