PINK HEART RICOTTA THYME RAVIOLI

I love to make these every year around Valentine’s Day. They get their pink hue from beet root powder, but trust me, it doesn’t impart any flavor so don’t worry if you’re not a fan of beets. Feel free to customize the filling with butternut squash, pumpkin, mushrooms, spinach, pesto, etc.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PASTA:

2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour

3/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon beet root powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

FOR THE FILLING:

3/4 cup vegan ricotta*

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

*Use my vegan ricotta recipe or Kite Hill’s for a shortcut.

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare the pasta dough, add the all-purpose flour, beet root powder and salt to a food processor, then gently pour in the hot water and olive oil. Pulse until the dough begins to clump into a ball.

Remove the dough from the food processor and place on a lightly floured board.

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until very smooth. Dust with more flour as needed until the dough is not sticking to the countertop or your hands. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Toast the walnuts in a pan over medium heat until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2-5 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool slightly then finely chop. Add only 1/4 cup of the walnuts to the ricotta along with the thyme and sea salt. Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts for garnish.

Once rested, divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll out each portion into equal size rectangles until they’re 1/16" thick. The thinner the dough, the tastier the ravioli. Dust with additional flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter or rolling pin.

Scoop the prepared ravioli filling onto one sheet of dough. Each scoop should be a heaping teaspoon in size with space around the edges. I like to place the dollops in two columns down the length of the sheet. Place the second sheet of dough directly on top and gently press on the dough around the filling to eliminate any excess air. Using this heart-shaped ravioli stamp, cut out each piece ensuring that the edges are tightly sealed. If the two layers aren’t bonding as well as they should, very lightly moisten the dough with your hands to create a better seal.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and carefully add the ravioli in batches. Cook for 3 minutes or until they float to the top. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving dish. I like to keep it simple and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the remaining toasted walnuts and more fresh thyme.