Beet ravioli stuffed with cashew cream (vegetarian, no pasta machine needed)

Cashew cream is a great alternative to meat for any type of stuffed pasta. If, like me, you do not have a pasta machine, with this recipe you can still make some fresh homemade ravioli at home. I adapted the recipe so that you can easily roll out the dough by hand, the ravioli might be a little thicker but it will taste just as good. If you do have a machine, it'll be even easier, and you should roll out your dough a bit thinner than I did here.

I like to eat them with just a dash of olive oil, a bit of lemon juice and some fresh chives, but they taste just as good with any sauce or herbs. You should try to make them with sage brown butter sauce! (you can find the recipe for the sauce on the blog)

Here's what you need for about 4 servings :

- 2 small beets or 1 big beet

- 1/2 cup all purpose flour

- 1/2 cup semolina flour

- Salt

- 1 cup of cashew nuts

- 1 shallot

- A rolling pin

- A round shaped ravioli cutter, you can use a knife or a pizza cutter it you don't have one and just cut your ravioli into large squares

- Salt

- Extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 lemon

- Chives

- Black pepper

• Cut your beets in two and steam them for 20 minutes. If you don't have a steamer, here's how you can steam without a steamer.

• Once steamed you can easily peel off the skin.

• Blend the beets to turn them into puree.

• To make the cashew cream, let your cashews soak in warm water for at least 1 hour. I used salted cashew nuts as it will salt the water and flavor the cream, but if you have unsalted ones, just add a bit of salt into the soaking water.

• Peel and roughly chop the shallot. Drain your cashews but keep a bit of the water.

• In the blender mix the shallots and cashews with some of the water until you get a creamy texture.

• Pour the flour into a large bowl or on your working surface. I prefer to do it in a bowl as the beet might stain your working surface. Make a large well in the middle.

• Whisk your egg and egg yolk together but do not incorporate too much air. Pour the egg mixture into the well. Whisk the eggs into the flour little by little with a fork to avoid any lumps. Add the beet puree, and keep whisking the flour into the wet ingredients.

• Once all your ingredients are combined into a dough, flour your work surface and start working the dough by hand. This is a very important step as this will develop the gluten in the dough.

• Your dough might seem sticky at first but it'll get less and less sticky while you knead it. Add some flour if needed. Keep kneading for about 7 or more minutes.

• Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, put aside and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Using the rolling pin, roll out each piece into a large rectangle, as thin as possible. Sprinkle some flour if it gets sticky.

Put one piece of dough on your working surface, brush off the flour residue a much as possible. Add a teaspoon of cashew cream for each ravioli just like on the picture. With your finger or with a small brush, put a little bit of water around each cashew cream portion, this will help to seal your ravioli.

• Place a second piece of dough on top over the filling. Press the dough around the cream with your fingers to seal the two pieces of dough together.

• Repeat the same action with the two remaining pieces of dough and the rest of the filling.

• With the cutter, cut out your ravioli.

• With the leftover dough from each ravioli batch, you can do a third one if you still have some filling, or you can make pasta, like tagliatelle.

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preferably, use kosher salt or rough sea salt. The salt in the boiling water will salt your ravioli and your dish, so be sure to add enough.

• Cook your ravioli for 3 to 4 minutes depending on how thin the dough is.

• Squeeze your lemon juice and chop your chives.

• Plate your ravioli, add a dash of extra-virgin olive oil and some lemon juice.

• Sprinkle some chives and a bit of salt on top, add lots of black pepper and eat!

ENJOY!