Vegan Ravioli filled with spinach and tofu ricotta made entirely from scratch! These delectable tender pillows of filled pasta are ideal for a special dinner. They’re also perfect for freezing for make ahead meals!
Ravioli has long been one of my favorite Italian dishes. When my husband and I were dating, we frequently dined at a wonderful family owned Italian restaurant in our city. This was actually where we dined the night he proposed to me! I absolutely loved their ravioli! Sadly, the restaurant owners retired and closed their business shortly after we married.
Since going vegan, I haven’t been able to find ravioli that came close to that delicious dish. Here in Portland, we have so many amazing vegan restaurants, but surprisingly not a single vegan Italian restaurant. I’ve always wondered why no one has opened one.
There are a few varieties of frozen vegan ravioli available in the stores, but these are expensive, and just don’t compare to the fresh, tender, homemade ravioli.
But you’re in luck!
Making homemade vegan ravioli can seem like a difficult task. But while there are several steps involved, none of them are difficult. And some of the steps can be done in advance, saving loads of time on ravioli making day.
This recipe makes A LOT of raviolis! Over 5 dozen! This means an afternoon of ravioli making can result in several family meals. Freeze them up! Then when you want a delicious pasta dinner, boil some up and top with your favorite sauce.
However, if you don’t want to spend this much time making ravioli, you can make half a batch. You can freeze the extra dough and filling to make the rest another day.
Ingredients for this homemade ravioli
- One batch of my vegan pasta dough
- 16 oz bag of fresh spinach
- One recipe of my tofu ricotta
- Breadcrumbs
How to make vegan ravioli
Make the pasta dough following my recipe. This can be made a day in advance and refrigerated, or can be made even further ahead and frozen. If you freeze the dough, be sure to remove it from the freezer the day before you intend to use it. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
While the dough is resting, make the ricotta filling.
Steam a 16 oz package of fresh spinach, squeeze out the excess liquid, and add to the food processor with the ricotta. Process until the spinach is blended in.
Transfer the spinach ricotta mixture to a bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup of bread crumbs. This is optional, but will make the filling less runny.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. On a well floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a rectangle, a little longer and wider than your ravioli mold. It should be about 1/8″ thick. You can do this with a rolling pin, or with a pasta machine.
Place one piece of rolled dough over the ravioli mold. It is helpful to sprinkle a bit of flour on the mold to prevent the dough from sticking.
Press the dough into the ravioli maker with the plastic tray. This will create the indentations for your filling.
Spoon the ricotta filling into each portion. Be careful not to overfill the sections or they might not seal properly and may open when cooking. I use about 1 teaspoon of filling per ravioli.
Place another piece of rolled pasta dough on top of the filled mold. Seal the edges of the ravioli by rolling your rolling pin over the top, gently at first, and then more firmly.
Tip the mold over and tap on the counter to remove the ravioli. The excess scraps of dough can be re-rolled for more ravioli.
How to cook the ravioli
To cook the ravioli, start by bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Place the ravioli in the pot. They will sink to the bottom and the boiling will stop. Once the water comes back to a boil and the ravioli floats, they will be almost done. Cook the fresh ravioli for about 5 minutes, and frozen ravioli for about 6 or 7 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your pasta.
Serving Suggestions
Top with one of these delicious vegan sauces:
And how about sprinkling on some Vegan Parmesan Cheese, and pairing your pasta with my delicious vegan Caesar salad?
Variations
This ravioli can be filled with any filling you desire! How about butternut squash, pumpkin, mushrooms, sweet potatoes or other roasted vegetables? Flavor with your favorite herbs, and even add some ground nuts. The options are endless!
If you don’t have a ravioli maker, you can cut these ravioli by hand,
Storage
This vegan ravioli recipe makes a huge batch. They’re perfect for freezing. Just lay them out on a parchment covered baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a Ziploc freezer bag or other air tight container and keep them in the freezer for 3 months or more!
The ravioli does not need to thaw before cooking. Just take them straight from the freezer and plop them into a pot of boiling water. Cook for about 7 minutes, top with your favorite pasta sauce, and dinner is served! What could be easier?
For more delicious Italian recipes, see:
- Vegan Pesto
- Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
- Oil Free Marinara
- Vegan Spinach Pesto
- Vegan Stromboli
- Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad
- Tomato Bruschetta
- Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan Stuffed Shells
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a rating and feedback below. It only takes a few seconds, but helps other visitors to my site. Thank you for taking the time to leave your comment!
And come join my Oil Free Vegan Recipes and Support Facebook group, where you can share your favorite oil free vegan recipes, and give and receive support on your plant based journey.
Vegan Ravioli with Spinach Tofu Ricotta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Vegan Pasta Dough
- 1 recipe Vegan Tofu Ricotta
- 16 oz fresh spinach
- ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs optional
Instructions
- Make the pasta dough following my recipe. Wrap it in plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
- While the dough is resting, make the ricotta filling.
- Steam a 16 oz package of fresh spinach, squeeze out the excess liquid, and add to the food processor with the ricotta. Process until the spinach is blended in.
- Transfer the spinach ricotta mixture to a bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup of bread crumbs. This is optional, but will make the filling less runny.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces. On a well floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a rectangle, a little longer and wider than your ravioli mold. You can do this with a rolling pin, or with a pasta machine.
- Place one piece of rolled dough over the ravioli mold. It is helpful to sprinkle a bit of flour on the mold to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Spoon about a rounded teaspoon of the ricotta filling into each portion. Be careful not to overfill the sections or they might not seal properly and may open when cooking.
- Place another piece of rolled pasta dough on top of the filled mold. Seal the edges of the ravioli by rolling your rolling pin over the top, gently at first, and then more firmly.
- Tip the mold over and tap on the counter to remove the ravioli. The excess scraps of dough can be re-rolled for more ravioli.
- To cook the ravioli, start by bringing a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Place the ravioli in the pot. They will sink to the bottom and the boiling will stop. Once the water comes back to a boil and the ravioli floats, they will be almost done. Cook the fresh ravioli for about 5 minutes, and frozen ravioli for about 6 or 7 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your pasta.
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations are approximate.
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