Sweet Pea Ravioli

About a week ago, I saw this recipe on Kelly's Blog. I absolutely love peas, so I checked out the recipe she linked. All of the components of the dish are so healthy and contain so many superfoods and sidekicks!

I chose this recipe to showcase soy, today's SuperFood. I have never used tofu in place of something like ricotta in ravioli, or as part of a sauce. I generally don't branch out from asian cuisine with tofu!

One element to this dish that I loved was the chili oil. I made the regular sized batch, which I plan on using often! It really balanced out the creamy tofu and sweet peas, and cut through the sauce on the bottom, which is really earthy from the spinach and asparagus.

I used wonton wrappers, like Kelly, because I didn't feel like making pasta - this dish is pretty labor intensive - but next time I think i'd make the pasta because some of the wontons didn't hold up well.

Sweet Pea Ravioli

Great Chefs Cook Vegan, Linda Long

Ravioli Dough:
1 pound all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 cup water
6 tablespoons olive oil

Ravioli Filling:
3 shallots, minced
3 cups English peas, blanched
4 ounces soft tofu
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Pea Cream:
1 bunch asparagus
3 ounces soft tofu
4 bunches baby spinach, cleaned
2 cups English peas, blanched

Chili Oil:
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
11⁄2 teaspoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1⁄2 tablespoon coarse or kosher salt
11⁄2 cups olive oil

To make the Ravioli Dough: Mix the dough ingredients together to form a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the Ravioli Filling: Sweat shallots in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until soft and translucent. Add peas and tofu and slowly heat. Purée in a food processor with oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the Ravioli: Roll out Ravioli Dough on a flour-coated surface until paper-thin. Cut into 1-inch strips. Spoon 1 tablespoon filling onto strips of dough at 1 inch intervals. Moisten edges with oil and lay strips of dough on top of filling. Press lightly around each filling mound to seal and then cut into squares.

To make the Pea Cream: Cut asparagus into 1-inch lengths, place in a saucepan, and cover with water. Slowly bring to a simmer. Add tofu and spinach leaves along with the peas. Purée, strain, and set aside.

To make the Chili Oil: Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Simmer over very low heat for about 10 minutes, or until flavors are extracted from ingredients. Be careful not to let spices brown. The chili flavor will be enjoyed in a subtle taste suspended in the oil.

Garnish
2 shallots, minced
1 cup English peas
1⁄2 pound pea tendrils and popcorn shoots (available in the summer)

SuperFoods : Soy (Tofu), Spinach, Capsaicin (Chili Peppers)

Sidekicks: Peas, Asparagus, Shallots