In an excerpt from his new book, Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking: Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques, acclaimed food writer and Washington Post editor Joe Yonan provides ideas for creating Italian dishes without meat or dairy. It's a tricky feat, but tips like this one, for homemade Ricotta Tortellini, make it all the more appetizing.
Here’s where some of your previous efforts can pay off: You turn Fresh "Egg" Pasta into tortellini by cutting it and stuffing it with a simple mixture based on Fluffy Pumpkin Seed Ricotta and Umami-Packed Cashew Parm (both from my book).
If you don’t have all those at the ready, never fear: You can substitute store-bought square wonton wrappers, vegan ricotta, and vegan Parmesan. Serve these with your favorite sauce or a simple marinara, or, for a particularly elegant dish, use for Tortellini in Charred Onion & Carrot Brodo.
Vegan Ricotta Tortellini
makes 36 tortellini
servings1
hour10
minutesIngredients
1 cup 1 Fluffy Pumpkin Seed Ricotta (page 31 of my book) or store-bought vegan ricotta
1/4 cup 1/4 Umami-Packed Cashew Parm (page 27 of my book), nutritional yeast, or store-bought vegan Parmesan
2 tablespoons 2 finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Fine sea salt
8 ounces 8 Fresh “Egg” Pasta
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Directions
- To Make the Filling
- In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, cashew Parm (if using), parsley, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Taste and season with more salt as needed.
- To Make the Tortellini
- Divide the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces.
- Work with one piece at a time and use a damp kitchen towel to keep the other three pieces covered.
- Use a pasta machine to roll one piece into progressively thinner sheets until it is paper thin.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces, keeping the rolled and unrolled dough covered with the towel as you work.
- Dust a large sheet pan lightly with flour.
- Have a small bowl of water ready for moistening the dough as needed and a shallow bowl of flour ready for dusting the tortellini as you finish shaping them.
- Cut each sheet into 3-inch squares.
- Rotate a dough square so that it’s oriented like a diamond.
- Put 1 heaping teaspoon of ricotta filling into the middle of the diamond, then fold up the bottom point to the top to create a triangle.
- Use your fingers to press out any extra air around the filling, then fold the bottom straight edge up and just over the filling and then fold it up and over one more time.
- Dip a finger in the water and moisten the two outer points, then bring one around the other to form a ring and press together to seal.
- Transfer the tortellini to the bowl of flour as you work.
- Repeat with the remaining squares.
- Gently toss and dust the shaped tortellini with flour and set them on the sheet pan.
- To Cook the Tortellini
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Reduce the heat so the boil is gentle, not rolling.
- Working in batches, use a slotted spoon to lower as many tortellini as will fit without overcrowding into the water and cook until they float, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to serving dishes, add your favorite sauce and any garnishes.
- Serve warm.
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