Vegan Toasted Ravioli with Whipped Pistachio Feta (VG, GF)

 Crispy and comforting butternut squash ravioli, served alongside a deliciously tangy pistachio whipped "feta" and crispy sage. This dish is the perfect winter appetiser! The filling is a creamy, cheesy butternut squash puree, stuffed inside pockets of crispy ravioli dough. If you don't want to bother making ravioli, I still recommend making the whipped feta- it's so creamy, delicious, and lovely spread on bagels! 

This dish is also 100% vegan and gluten free!

I created this recipe for my chef diploma :) 

Makes: about 30 ravioli

Ingredients:

For the ravioli:

• 1 large butternut squash

• Drizzle olive oil (optional)

• 190g gram flour

• 10g psyllium husk

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• ½ tsp turmeric

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1½ tsp olive oil

• 45-60ml (3-4 tbsp) aquafaba

• 4 cloves garlic

• Drizzle olive oil

• 1 tbsp natural maple syrup

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• Pinch salt

• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• 45 ml (3 tbsp) coconut cream (the thick cream part of a can of coconut milk)

• Salt and pepper

For the whipped feta:

• 100g cashews

• 90ml water

• 1 tsp miso paste

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp cider vinegar

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp agar agar 

• 2 tbsp vegan yoghurt

• 100g pistachios

• 30ml water

• Pinch of salt

For the crispy sage:

• 8 leaves of sage

• Salt 

• Olive oil

Method:

Prepare the ravioli: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. 

2. Prepare the butternut squash for the dough. Cut about 200g of squash away and set aside the rest. Cut the 200g piece into large chunks, and place face-down on a lined baking tin. Drizzle with some olive oil (optional) and place in the preheated oven for around 40 minutes, until fork-tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Weight out 100g of this squash and blend or mash with a fork to create a puree. You can use any leftover squash in the filling later. 

3. Prepare the butternut squash for the filling. Peel and deseed the rest of the butternut squash. Chop the squash into small cubes, and place in a lined roasting tin. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, the maple syrup, the smoked paprika and a pinch of salt until well coated. Add the four cloves of garlic (skin on) to the baking tray with the cubed squash. Place the roasting tin in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, until softened. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

4. Make the pasta dough: Whisk the dry ingredients (gram flour, psyllium husk, cornstarch, turmeric and salt) until combined. Add the wet ingredients (squash puree, 1½ tsp olive oil, 3 tbsp of the aquafaba) and knead until a dough forms. You may need a little more aquafaba if too dry, or a little more gram flour/cornstarch if too wet. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

5. Make the filling: Add the cubed roasted butternut squash (and any leftover roasted squash you may have), the roasted garlic (skin removed), nutritional yeast, lemon juice, nutmeg, garlic powder, coconut cream and a pinch of salt and pepper to a blender, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning/spices. Set aside in the fridge. 

Make the cashew feta:

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, and add the cashews. Boil for about 15 minutes, until softened. 

2. Add to a blender with 90ml water, miso paste, 1 ½ tsp salt, lemon juice, cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder. Blend until everything is completely incorporated. Stir in the agar agar powder. 

3. In a saucepan or a frying pan over medium high heat, add the blended mixture and stir for about 5 minutes until it begins to thicken. Transfer to a shallow dish lined with parchment paper and spread out evenly. Leave to cool and set in the fridge. 

Make the pistachio cream:

1. Prepare the pistachios: if they still have a brown skin on them, remove the skin by adding them to boiling water, removing from the heat, and letting them soak for 2 minutes. Drain them and then rub them vigorously in a kitchen towel to remove the skin. 

2. Preheat the grill to a high heat (~220C). 

3. Spread the shelled and skinned pistachios over a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Grill for about 5 minutes, checking them very often to ensure they do not burn. When they begin to turn slightly golden and have a nutty aroma, they are ready. Remove from the grill immediately and let cool. 

4. Set aside a handful of the toasted pistachios for the garnish. 

5. Add the rest of the pistachios to a blender with 30ml water and a pinch of salt. Blend until a thick paste forms, adding a little more water if it doesn’t completely blend. Set aside. 

Assemble and cook the ravioli: 

1. Run small chunks of dough through the pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and narrowing it each time until it is the desired thickness. Dust the chunks of pasta dough with a little gram flour or cornstarch each time you roll it through or it will stick. 

2. Cut the rolled sheets of pasta dough into equal sized squares (about 4x4cm).

3. Place a heaped tsp in the centre of a square of dough. Brush the edges with a little water or leftover aquafaba, and place another square of dough over it. Seal the edges and, if necessary, trim and uneven edges with a sharp knife. Set aside on a lined tray or plate. 

4. Repeat step 4 until all of the squares are used up. 

5. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the ravioli; you may want to cook it in batches to avoid overcrowding. Boil for 3-4 minutes, until they float, before draining.

6. Add the boiled ravioli to a large nonstick frying pan with a little olive oil over high heat, and pan fry on both sides until golden brown and crispy. Use a spatula to gently flip them. Once pan-fried, you can transfer to a warm oven until ready to serve.

Plate everything up:

1. To finish the whipped feta, add 100g of the set cashew feta and 2 tbsp vegan yoghurt to a blender and blend until thick and fluffy. Stir in the pistachio cream. 

2. Fry the sage: in a large frying pan with a little olive oil, fry the leaves of sage until crispy (a couple of minutes). Sprinkle it with some salt.

3. Toss the pistachios you set aside earlier in a little salt.

4. Plate the toasted ravioli alongside the pistachio whipped feta, the crispy sage, and the toasted pistachios. 

Enjoy! :)