December 3, 2014
(last updated May 6, 2023) 
When I was first getting into raw foods, raw ravioli, prepared using thinly sliced beets as the pasta portion, was one of the first recipes I sampled and then learned. The dish I tried was served at Pure Food and Wine. It was simple, elegant, incredibly flavorful, and it evoked a traditional dish–ravioli–with a fresh perspective. I loved it.
I’ve made many beet raviolis since I first discovered the dish. There is, as a matter of fact, a beet ravioli in my cookbook.
That one is made with cashew cheese. This one is made with pine nut cheese, which is a little bit more complex and nutty tasting (as opposed to cashew, which is pretty neutral), and I used only golden beets, as opposed to a red/golden mixture (or red alone). I love the bright pop of color, especially if you serve it with a little drizzle of pesto or basil oil.
The ravioli make an elegant and easy appetizer, especially if you prep them ahead of time! Steven and I had friends over for dinner two weeks ago, and I served these as a first course. I sliced the beets and marinated them in advance, and I prepped the pine nut cheese two days ahead of time. I whipped up a quick fennel and arugula salad at the last minute, using the beet marinade as dressing, and voila: insta-appetizer. Insta, and very tasty. Here’s the recipe.
Golden Beet Ravioli with Pine Nut Cheese
Author -Ingredients
- For the ravioli:
- 1-2 large golden beets peeled, four edges sliced down to create a square shape
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- For the pine nut cheese:
- 1 cup pine nuts soaked 2-4 hours and drained
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 small clove garlic minced (optional)
- Pepper to taste
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup water use judgment
- For the basil oil optional
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- To prepare the beet ravioli, slice the beet into very thin slices (less than 1/8 of an inch). It's easiest to do this with a mandolin, but a sharp knife will do the trick! Cut as many beet slices as you'll need to serve 2-6 ravioli per person, 2 beet slices per ravioli. (The pine nut cheese will yield enough for approximately 16 ravioli, but you can make half of that and then enjoy the cheese on top of salads or as a dip, too.) Whisk the oil, lemon, and salt together and pour into a shallow dish (such as a glass lock container). Add the beet slices, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- To prepare the pine nut cheese, add all ingredients except for the water to a food processor or a high speed blender. Start by adding 1/4 cup water and blending the mixture on high speed. Add more water as needed as you go along; the goal is to have a mixture that resembles a thick, creamy hummus in texture. Stop often to scrape the bowl down as you go.
- To prepare the basil oil, blend the basil, oil, and salt till the mixture is smooth.
- To serve the ravioli, pat the marinated beet slices dry. Place one beet square on your prep surface and top it with 1 tablespoon of the pine nut cheese. Top the cheese with the other beet square and gently press the edges together. Arrange ravioli on a serving plate and drizzle them with basil oil, if desired.
Delicate and delicious. Perhaps you’ll consider making these for a holiday dinner with friends, or heck, for yourself, as part of an especially pretty dinner! I hope you love them.
Thanks for all of the great responses to my holiday gift guide! Glad you’re enjoying it. I’ll see you back here on Friday, with a lovely seasonal soup recipe.
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Main Dishes,
Side Dishes,
Vegan Cheeses
Ingredients: Beets, Cashew Nuts
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, No Oil, Raw, Soy Free, Vegan
Ingredients: Beets, Cashew Nuts
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, No Oil, Raw, Soy Free, Vegan
Leave a Comment
Hi, Im confused by your recipe as you have only said to slice the beets thinly and haven’t included the process that i assume happens with the lemon juice, salt and oil?
I think I need to soften the beets do I marinate them in the other ingredients?
Apologies for the confusion, Raelle! That omission was my fault. I’ve edited the recipe to clarify.
You have ingredients in the ravioli section that are not mentioned in step 1 of the recipe prep, although you do say something about marinating in the preliminary material. How long do you normally marinade if that is the case?
This looks amazing. Also, thanks for saying it’s a first course! At first I thought this would be a whole meal, and I found that pretty troubling for a blog that is often read by ED survivors. So important for us ladies to not be afraid of big portions. I know when I eat vegan, I eat a ton of food. I often need more calories when I’m eating vegan to feel energized, which I think is normal, and important to note for those new to the lifestyle.
Yes, more volume is key when one makes the switch over to a diet that doesn’t feature the calorie density of animal proteins. I’m most definitely a big eater, and even for someone with a more modest appetite than mine I wouldn’t suggest this dish for a main course! It’s a fabulous starter, though, and it would be nice for dinner along with some other, denser fare (a bean or grain dish, for example).
True. I’m hungry now ๐
Pine nuts are sooo good! I’ve had cashew and almond cheese plenty of times but have yet to try pine nut cheese. Excited to try!
Hope you like! They’re more expensive than other nuts by a mile, but man, are they good.
This looks SUPER yummy. I must give pine nut cheese a go. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hope you love it!
Yum! This look beautiful. Question- were your guests omnivores, and if so, what did they think? I’m always balancing food that appeals to me with food that will ALSO appeal to those around me (who may not have quite as adventurous or vegtastic tastes)
Hey Amy!
My guests were totally omnivores. It was my college best friend and her fiance, and they both admitted during dinner that they’d be worried about how he’d like the food (he’s a meat and potatoes guy through and through). They both loved it, though, and later on he told me that he thinks I should open a restaurant, so I felt pretty relieved about how it all went.
I tend to find that when I make the kinds of recipes I’m great at (grain dishes, roasted veggies, soups, raw food), they go over best because that’s where my talents are. If I try to make some complicated and fancy vegan entree in the hopes of making something crowd pleasing, it’s often kind of a bust. I typically move from lighter to heavier fare, which gives me a chance to show off some raw food and then offer stuff that’s more substantial. For this meal, I did soup, the raw ravioli, and then a quinoa pilaf with cauliflower steaks and sunflower seed romesco (which I’m planning on sharing on the blog once I make it again — it was awesome).
I also don’t hesitate to get inspiration from books and websites if that makes my life easier! I love using Food52 for inspiration (I veganize what I see a lot of the time) and Dreena Burton’s books, Nava Atlas’ books, Mollie Katzen’s books, and Anna Thomas’ books are my staples.
Hope this helps!
These are absolutely gorgeous! Such a great idea, using beets. I love the idea of a lighter, healthier ravioli. Thanks for sharing!
1. oh my gosh this sounds delightful! so flavorful yet simple an elegant! i think i will definitely try it when i am home on break, but vary the filling a bit (not a huge nut/pine nut fan..)
2. i think you accidentally said cashew instead of pine nuts in the directions ๐