Creamy Shiitake Spinach Ravioli

This original recipe was created for R&R Cultivation by Vegan food blogger, Asia Strom.

Give your immune system a boost with a healthy dose of shiitake mushrooms for dinner tonight! Take a step out of your comfort zone and try this delicious dish. I think everyone needs to make homemade ravioli at least once in their lives. Ravioli is super fun to make with your family!

These creamy mushroom raviolis look like a huge task but I promise it is very simple. The dough is only 2 ingredients! You don't need any fancy equipment. As long as you have a cup, fork and old wine bottle, that's all you need to roll, cut and seal the ravioli. That is exactly what I used the last few times I made ravioli, but I finally caved and ordered a french rolling pin. This recipe is especially fun to do with kids, or if you wanna go solo and plan a special meal for your significant other. You got this! Making homemade pasta is becoming less and less common.

There is such a rewarding feeling behind completing a meal like this one. The first time I did it, I was so proud of myself and it felt like a huge cooking accomplishment! This is definitely a way to wow the family. I made this pasta for the first time when my daughter was outside playing. When she came inside for dinner, she didn't believe me when I told her I made the ravioli myself. She was convinced I bought it from the store. I decided the next time I made it, I would let her help. We had a blast together! Precious time with your family is always worth it!

Cook time: 1 hour 

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ Cup Flour (extra for dusting)
• 2 cups Fresh Spinach (extra for garnish)
• 1 Cup Raw Cashew
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1 Lemon 
• Water
• 1 ½ Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Pepper
• ½ Pound Shiitake Mushrooms
• 1 Small Handful of Sage (optional)
• 1 24 oz Jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• Vegan Parmesan (optional)

Steps:

1. Place 1 cup of raw cashew nuts in a bowl and cover in hot water and set aside.
2. Measure out the flour and ½ Tsp salt and place in a large mixing bowl. 
3. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Measure out 2 cups of fresh spinach, then add the spinach to the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove spinach from the water and strain, reserving the spinach water. Place spinach in the blender along with 4 Tbsp of the reserved spinach water and blend until smooth.
4. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour the smooth spinach mixture into the well. Stir mixture until it all comes together. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins. If the dough seems too tough or dry, add water a little at a time and work it in. Roll into a ball shape. Wrap dough tightly in parchment paper and place in the refrigerator for 30 mins.
5. Drain cashews and place them in the blender with the juice of 1 lemon, 4 Tbsp of cold water, 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast, ½ Tsp of salt,  ½ Tsp pepper, 1 clove of garlic and half of the sage leaves. Blend until smooth. Add the water little at a time until it blends, but don't add too much water because you don't want a runny filling. Place mixture in the fridge until ravioli is ready to stuff.
6. Divide the chilled dough into 2 equal parts. Roll the dough out as thin as possible without tearing the dough (about 1/16 inch thick). Use the rim of a glass, about 3 inches in diameter to cut out your ravioli circles. Roll out the second part of the dough and repeat the same process. Get as many circles as you can. You should get about 20-30 circles in all.
   
7. Wash, dry and slice your shiitake mushrooms.
8. Heat up a medium sized pan on medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of oil. When oil is hot, add 1 clove of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add sliced mushrooms, ½ Tsp salt and ½ Tsp pepper. Fry until cooked through about 5-6 mins. Remove from heat. Take half of the mushrooms from the pan and mince them. Add the minced mushrooms to the cashew cheese filling, save the other half of the mushrooms for topping the dish. 
9. Add a small spoonful of filling in the middle of the dough circle. Lightly wet the edges of the circle. Place a second circle on top pressing around the edges. Take a fork and press all around the outer edge sealing the ravioli. Continue until you have filled and sealed all of the ravioli. 
10. Heat up the pasta sauce in a small saucepan until heated through.
11. Bring a large pot of water to boil adding salt and olive oil. Drop in your ravioli and cook until they float to the top, about 5-6 mins. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon.
12. Assemble! Place a scoop of pasta sauce down on the plate, then add the cooked ravioli. Top the ravioli with extra mushrooms, spinach, minced sage, tomato sauce, and parmesan cheese!