This weekend, we took a trip to Portland, Maine. While we were there, we visited one of my favorite shops—Leroux Kitchen—located in the Old Port, right on the waterfront. I love this shop because there are about 20 different infused oils and vinegars to taste, an upstairs full of cookware to check out and literally hundreds of kitchen gadgets to look through. Among those gadgets was a ravioli cutter, which inspired me to come up with a ravioli dish as soon as I threw it into my basket. Similar to an earlier pasta dish and savory tart I’ve made before, this ravioli is rich, filling and full of complimentary flavors and textures. I used leftover frozen shumai dough to make the ravioli, which cut the prep time in half and provided the perfect texture to seal in some rosemary-laced portobellos, salty oil-cured olives and sweet sauteed shallots.
PORTABELLO AND SHALLOT RAVIOLI WITH TOASTED WALNUTS
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
for the ravioli wrappers
- 1 cup pastry flour
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Ener-G, whisked with 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 tsp salt
for the raviloi filling
- 8 oz baby portobello mushrooms, minced
- 1/2 TB crushed dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried fennel seeds
- 2 shallots, minced
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5–7 oil-cured olives, minced
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
for the sauce
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance
- 1/4 cup canned coconut cream (skim the cream from the top)
- 1/4 cup chopped spinach
- toasted walnuts
Instructions
To make the wrappers
- Place the flours, Ener-G/water and salt into a mixer. Blend until the dough is smooth and pulls away easily from the sides of the bowl, adding a bit more water as needed.
- Remove the dough, roll into a ball and place into a greased bowl and cover with saran wrap. Allow it to rest for about 30 minutes.
- Separate the dough into four equal pieces. On a well-floured surface (I kept a small bowl of rice flour nearby), flatten the dough out as thinly as possible, using a rolling pin. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out perfect circle shapes, re-rolling any unused dough. Reroll each piece to maximize the thinness of the dough.
To make the ravioli filling
- Saute the portobello in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat for about 12 minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Sprinkle with the rosemary and fennel and saute for one minute more.
- Remove the mushrooms, add a bit more oil to the skillet, and saute the shallots and garlic for about three minutes. Remove from the heat and combine them with the mushrooms and olives. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
To assemble the ravioli
- Place about a tablespoon of the mixture onto a piece of ravioli wrapper. To create a seal, run a thin layer of water around the edges. Top with another wrapper and press down gently but firmly. It’s important to do this to ensure the ravioli does not break open during boiling. Using the ravioli cutter, cut out a nice round shape and place on a lightly floured surface.
To prepare the ravioli
- Once your raviolis are all assembled, bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add some salt and olive oil and slowly slide the ravioli into the water. Boil for about 5 minutes, then gently flip over and allow to boil for about 5 minutes more. Carefully remove the ravioli from the water and place in a serving dish.
- Lightly toast the walnuts by placing them into a dry saucepan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- To make the sauce, melt the Earth Balance and coconut cream over low heat. Stir in the spinach and drizzle over the pasta. Top with the toasted walnuts and serve immediately.
erinwyso says
Leila, thanks for sharing this experience and I love your ability to adapt recipes and make them so creative. You inspire me to rethink and reshape recipes, which I often forget about when I have a solid plan in my head to execute them! Glad you enjoyed!: )
Leila A. Fortier says
Hey, Erin! So this recipe of yours took me on some twists and turns with adaptations, that I just had to share this story.
A few days ago it was raining and I wanted some comfort food. I made a thick and hearty bisque-like vegan shiitake/portobello soup. The problem is, I made waaaay too much, and was trying to think of something I could do with a recipe as not to let it all go to waste. So, I used your search tab and typed in mushrooms, which led me to this recipe here.
It was getting late, so I thought I would use wonton wrappers and a biscuit cutter to make the raviolis. I sauteed the shallots, garlic, fennel, and oil before adding in a couple ladles of the thick mushroom soup for the filling. I also had no walnuts on hand, so I toasted pine nuts instead, and exchanged the spinach for kale.
I was thinking I was pretty genius for utilizing these leftovers and which also saved me cooking time along with the wontons. And they looked beautiful…before I put them in the water.
Note to self: Do not use wonton wrappers to make soft raviolis–only fried. They fell apart completely and all the filling was just swimming about in the water.
I warned my husband that I thought I messed this up pretty bad–and not to expect much from it. I actually, almost didn't try it because I was so sad they fell apart as they did.
But I made the most of the situation and sifted out the loose noodles and whatever filling I could catch with the spoon. Ladled it into a bowl and covered with the creamy Kale sauce and toasted pine nuts. It still looked beautifully presented when disguised with the toppings, but I was not anticipating it was going to be a good meal due to my mistakes.
You would not believe this…but it was actually REALLY good! I couldn't believe it! Absolutely delicious. If I make it again, I would like to try your homemade ravioli doe to experience the actual "ravioli", but I also think if I made it again on a night I was cramped for time, I could use a soft, wide, ribbon noodle–place a lump of filling in the middle of the dish and then adorn with the creamy kale and pine nuts (or the original spinach & walnut).
Anyhow…just one of my little adventures from one of your genius recipes:)
erinwyso says
😀
Cara says
Sweet! Swing by L.A. around noon and come pick me up 🙂
erinwyso says
Cara, that would have made it an even more awesome trip, maybe next time! : )
Cara says
Aaaaaaah, I am jealous! Greg is in Portland for business for the past month. Wish I hitched a ride with you guys 🙂 Loving these raviolis too. Nothing like going to a fancy kitchen store and splurging 🙂
Christine says
oooh I was JUST thinking about how I'd like to make ravioli soon; thanks for sharing!
erinwyso says
Thanks for your kind comment, Maria! I'm glad you enjoy the blog. : )
Maria Rose says
I recently discovered your blog and I look forward to each and every post!
erinwyso says
thanks Caitlin! xo
Caitlin says
these look delicious! i haven't had ravioli in years, but it was always my favorite pasta. you are amazing.