After returning home from today’s race, I took a wonderful 2 hour nap.  When I woke up, I was starving!  I remember a fun recipe sent to me by Beth for Sweet Potato Ravioli and decided to try a savory version.

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One of the things I ‘miss’ since reducing my dairy intake is those stuffed pastas you buy in the freezer section.  I used to eat them all the time when I was short on time for cooking, but now that I’m trying to limit dairy to once a day, the ravioli doesn’t look so appealing.  I’ve been on the hunt for cheese-less ravioli, but these serve as a nice (if labor-intensive) substitution.

 

I’ve never made pasta from scratch.  I used these won ton wrappers as “pasta”:

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The stuffing was simple:  mashed sweet potato and mashed rinsed black beans.  For two servings, I used an entire potato and 1 cup of beans.

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All that will fit in the wontons is 1 tablespoon of mix.  Be careful not to overstuff!

 

I sealed each wonton with a little bit of water.

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And then I boiled them for 5 minutes with a little olive oil.

 

I topped the ravioli with regular red pasta sauce.

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It was good, but a little slimy.  :)  Maybe I cooked it too long?  Honestly, I think wonton wrappers are best for frying.  I bet the sweet potato and black bean mix would taste AMAZING in fried wontons.  Obviously, not the healthiest way to prepare them, but it would be a nice change!

 

With a big arugula salad on the side.

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All together now:

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Plus, an orange for dessert:

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Well, my friends, I’m off to be Caitlin at Unhealthy Tipping Point and get my dance on at the downtown Orlando clubs.  ;)  Hardy ha ha.   We rarely go out because it’s so expensive, but Orlando has an excellent nightlife.  I’m pumped!

 

Have you ever made pasta from scratch?  Got any recipes?

{ 72 comments }

 

  • Snowflakes and Sunshine April 24, 2010, 3:44 pm

    That ravioli looks great. I’ve never made pasta but I’d love to try. Have a wonderful evening out – it’s your birthday, you’re allowed to be as unhealthy as you like! Have a cocktail for me 🙂

  • Camille April 24, 2010, 4:00 pm

    The ravioli looks incredible! Sweet potatoes and black bean beans go so well together!

    Have a fun night out tonight!

  • Freya @ Brit Chick Runs April 24, 2010, 4:00 pm

    That sounds sooo delicious – stuffed pasta is one of my all-time fave meals 😀 I’ve never done it from scracth though, I’m too scared!!
    I wish I could find some won ton wrappers somewhere, then I could do it myself. Life would be amazing…
    Have a fab evening out 🙂

  • Lauren @ A Fit Foodie April 24, 2010, 4:09 pm

    I have never made pasta from scratch but my grandmother has and it’s amazing! Like nothing I’ve ever tasted! The ravioli looks divine though!

  • Sana April 24, 2010, 4:15 pm

    Hahahah! Enjoy yourself and party up your badass b-day!

  • Hedda April 24, 2010, 4:16 pm

    Hey, healthy is about having fun and get your freak on ( I hope this is the right expression, haha!) as well 😀

    My mother did make pasta from scratch once since she is allergic to wheat. It was a lot of hard work, but the taste was delicious. Italian food is heaven. I wish everybody was born with a touch of Italian food-knowledge!

  • Nicci April 24, 2010, 4:17 pm

    Oh, those wontons look delcious. I think they would be great at party and fried too!!

  • Lindsay April 24, 2010, 4:26 pm

    That looks so good! My neighbor makes homemade pasta so I’ll have to steal some of hers when she makes it. Wontons weird me out due to the sliminess 🙁

  • Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg April 24, 2010, 4:31 pm

    What a gourmet lunch!! (or linner, maybe?) I’ve often wondered about using those wonton wrappers for pasta.

  • Mama Pea April 24, 2010, 4:31 pm

    Who are we kidding? In an hour you are not going to care if your wontons are fried and homemade pasta is going to be the last thing on your mind. Have a blast!

  • mary ann April 24, 2010, 4:40 pm

    you could also try breading them in a lil flax meal or whole wheat panko to get that fry like texture. pan fry in some healthy evoo or even bake and dip into your fave marinara… mmmmm.
    MA

  • Julie @ Pickley Pear April 24, 2010, 4:47 pm

    Never thought of wonton wrappers in place of pasta for ravioli. Could you bake them? That’s what I usually do when making mini tacos using wonton wrappers.

  • Becky April 24, 2010, 4:49 pm

    I tried making pasta with wonton wrappers once and got the same result – slime! I haven’t given it another go, but the baking idea seems to make sense. Maybe it’s time for another experiment 🙂 Have an amazing time tonight!

  • Amanda April 24, 2010, 4:59 pm

    Never made my own pasta, but I do buy these frozen gyoza from Trader Joes. They are SO good if you pan sear them on the bottom in a little olive oil. Then you add a few tbsp of water to the pan and cover and steam them … maybe that would work? Have fun tonight, I’m going out for my birthday too!!

  • Ali @ Vegan Booty April 24, 2010, 5:01 pm

    I’ve struggled with those Nasoya wrappers, too! I think the best way to cook them is to put a bit of oil in a frying pan, fry one side (or both sides) of the potstickers until crispy, then add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan, immediately cover the pan, and wait for the wrappers to absorb the steam. Add more water, re-cover, re-steam, etc. as necessary until wrappers are fully steamed. I’ve done them this way stuffed with leftover mashed potatoes, and they were great! 🙂

  • Kelly @ Healthy Living With Kelly April 24, 2010, 5:18 pm

    Haha…enjoy your night!! You earned it!

  • Anne April 24, 2010, 5:19 pm

    pasta is actually much easier to make than you might imagine. mix an egg, a cup of flour a bit of oil (add flavors if you want), rolled for about 5 min, cooked for 2 and you’re all set! though, it’s requires a pasta roller and is much easier with a pasta roller attachment for something like a kitchen aid.

    though, i WILL be stuffing raviolis with sweet taters and beans the next time i do it. sounds delicious!

    • Anne April 24, 2010, 5:22 pm

      ps, happy birthday and have fun!

  • Tonyne @ The Unlikely Success Story April 24, 2010, 5:22 pm

    I will be making that! I would try baking the raviolis though, give them a little firmness. Yum!

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing April 24, 2010, 5:24 pm

    Sounds like a FUN night girl!!
    The ravioli looks good! I tried making homemade ravioli one time long ago. They tasted good but where a bit on the slimy side too.

  • Julie @ Wearing Mascara April 24, 2010, 5:30 pm

    Ooo those look great! Have a great time tonight.

  • neely April 24, 2010, 5:30 pm

    Happy birthday girl! I am having a blast in the keys but wish I could have a drink with you to celebrate… have fun! Go to planet pizza after lol.

  • Midgetkeeper April 24, 2010, 5:37 pm

    Enjoy your night out Caitlin, sounds like fun.

  • Emily April 24, 2010, 5:39 pm

    I once tried making stuffed ‘pasta’ with wonton wrappers as per a Giada recipe, but had the same result as you… :/ your filling sounds good though!

  • Andrea @ Run, Eat, Date, Sleep April 24, 2010, 5:40 pm

    Wow, that looks yummy! You’re so creative!

  • Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) April 24, 2010, 5:52 pm

    Wow, you make it look easy! It would definitely be fun to make your own and add whatever fillings you want. Something to try in the future. 🙂

  • Kate April 24, 2010, 6:14 pm

    Looks like a great combo! Two tips:
    (1) You can actually make extras and freeze them. Just lay them flat (and not touching) – on a cutting board, and throw them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to flash-freeze. Then, you can store them in a Ziplock, and they won’t clump up.
    (2) You can use the tines of your fork, pressing a bit, to seal the edges tightly. It’ll look cute, too.

    • caitlin April 25, 2010, 7:04 pm

      both great ideas!

  • Marissa April 24, 2010, 6:14 pm

    Yum! The flavor combos sounds awesome!

  • Julie @savvyeats April 24, 2010, 6:42 pm

    I haven’t made any pasta other than gnocchi, but I want to!

  • Lisa April 24, 2010, 7:01 pm

    They look great! I made homemade Mushroom & Sundried Tomato Ravioli here: http://wp.me/pTaNl-1g

  • Jessi April 24, 2010, 7:02 pm

    As a couple others mentioned, to get the crispiness of fried but with the health benefits of boiled….just bake ’em! I love using the wrappers for crab rangoon but just bake it instead. It’s also fun to put them in muffin tins and just fill ’em, so you might want to try variations of yours like that, too!

  • Claire April 24, 2010, 7:17 pm

    I haven’t made homemade pastas but I really want to try it sometime! I buy the rising moon brand a lot when they are on sale at WF’s and a few are vegan like the butternut squash & garlic and roasted veggie. have fun tonight!

  • Heather (Heather's Dish) April 24, 2010, 7:25 pm

    i’ve only made noodles, but not stuffed pasta. SO fun though and the difference in taste is incredible! these sound really good…next time if you can do dairy you should add a little goat cheese. HOLY YUM! 🙂

  • Janet April 24, 2010, 7:38 pm

    looks SO good, my favorite cheese-less frozen pasta is a mushroom ravioli, my dad got a huge thing of it at costco (spelling?) and its delicious, but im sooo trying the ones you made, they seem like a healthier version of perogies (: and sound like they would be GREAT with salsa (:

  • Rick April 24, 2010, 7:40 pm

    Yum! The flavor combos sounds awesome!

  • Dominique April 24, 2010, 7:42 pm

    One of my many childhood memories is of my parents making homemade pasta with my brothers and I. My brothers and I would always fight over who got to turn the crank on the pasta machine. Our pasta machine went missing a few years back so I haven’t had homemade pasta in a long time but that was one of the things I loved about my childhood; my parents were huge supporters of meals made from scratch.

    I make homemade ravioli using wonton wrappers all the time but I use the thicker ones. I find the thinner wonton wrappers a little bit too thin and sometimes they break when boiling. I also tend to make a huge batch at a time (considering how time-consuming they are) and then freeze them in a single layer for 15 minutes and then pack into single-servings in ziploc bags in the freezer. I usually boil mine and then drizzle with olive oil afterwards and mine aren’t usually slimy. I haven’t had homemade ravioli in a while. My fave is pumpkin with a browned butter and sage sauce–soo yummy!

  • SallyH @ acountablelife.wordpress.com April 24, 2010, 7:51 pm

    I am so making that. Will clip this recipe for my Meatless in May challenge. I think I’ll try to bake it. Thanks!!

  • Cynthia (It All Changes) April 24, 2010, 8:07 pm

    I use wonton wrappers too because it is so much easier. I can’t think of any recipes off the top of my head but they are fun to make.

  • Jenn (from j3nn.net) April 24, 2010, 8:29 pm

    I’ve made butternut squash ravioli with won ton wrappers before and I liked them a lot! I’ve never made pasta from scratch but I think I might buy a ravioli mold sometime. There’s so many possibilities.

    Good luck with reducing dairy. I can’t do it. I’m a cheese addict. And yogurt, milk, cream, lol. Cow juice <3

    Jenn

  • Melissa (MelissaLikesToEat) April 24, 2010, 8:36 pm

    I took a cooking class on how to make pasta. I haven’t made it at home yet but I plan to…it tastes so much better when it’s fresh!

  • Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] April 24, 2010, 8:36 pm

    How is that unhealthy? Dancing is great exercise : ) Have fun!

  • Nicole April 24, 2010, 8:41 pm

    Whole Foods has their 365 brand of frozen ravioli without cheese! They have butternut squash and some kind of mushroom medley.. I can’t remember the others but they are all good and affordable!

  • Amanda (Amanda "runs") April 24, 2010, 8:42 pm

    Love your nails! (teehee) That food loks really good! Have fun Dancing @ the clubs! I hope they’re fun! (never been, since I’m..well.. underage.)

  • Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter April 24, 2010, 8:57 pm

    Well the stuffed pasta sure looks great! I’m absolutely in LOVE with your salad bowl 🙂

  • Deva (Voracious Vorilee) April 24, 2010, 9:19 pm

    Have fun tonight :-). I wonder how the ravioli would be baked? 🙂

  • Shawna @ Balancing Me April 24, 2010, 9:19 pm

    The filling looks yummy!

    I didn’t read all the comments, but you can definitely saute the stuffed wonton wrappers in a frying pan. Either use some spray or a teeny bit of oil just to coat. Then when they start to brown, deglaze with a bit of white wine or veggie broth, enough so they sit in it and soften while the liquid evaporates.

  • lauren @ Eater not a runner April 24, 2010, 9:24 pm

    We make a mean gnocchi, it’s my boyfriend’s grandma’s recipe, I’ll have to post it sometime!

  • Lisa April 24, 2010, 10:34 pm

    I’ve never made my own pasta from scratch as an adult. You make it look really easy!

    When I was a kid my grandma made linguine and spagetti from scratch. So much better!

  • Christina April 24, 2010, 10:47 pm

    Actually the only time I made pasta “from scratch” was with those same wonton wrappers! I actually baked them though, and they turned out amazing!

  • Shannon, Tropical Treats April 24, 2010, 10:50 pm

    Never made my own pasta but I always drool over it when they make it on tv. On Top Chef, if you can make your own pasta you’re pretty much guaranteed to win the challenge lol. Have fun tonight!

  • Mary April 24, 2010, 11:32 pm

    My family is Italian and we a lot of the time make pasta AND sauce from scratch. (I’ll e-mail you the tomato sauce recipe if you’d like 🙂 ) I have a recipe for quick and easy gnocchi (potato Pasta) I bet you could use sweet potato in the recipe if you wanted. the recipe includes:

    I cup dried potato flakes (instant potato mix)
    I cup boiling H20
    Flour.
    Make the instant potatoes as the directions indicate on the box then mix in flour to make a dough. Roll and cut the gnocchi into 1/2 inch pieces. make your serving (about 1/2) a cup and you can freeze the rest for later use! Boil until they float and enjoy! 🙂 they’re filling because they’re made out of potato but they’re SO delicious! I have made lots of other pastas from scratch too, like spaghetti, nom nom nom!

  • Wei-Wei April 24, 2010, 11:45 pm

    Have you ever made your own WONTONS from scratch? I suppose these raviolis could be considered Italian/Western Wontons (or wontons could be Chinese raviolis?!) but you could really learn how to make it into all those pretty frilly shapes with traditional fillings as well… They’re delicious in wonton soup (and I think the soup is the best part!)

    I love wontons when there’s just a minute amount of filling and the rest is just slimy, trailing peel… sounds gross but is delicious!

    Hope you have a fun night! 😀

    Wei-Wei

  • Amber K @ sparkpeople April 25, 2010, 12:07 am

    I have never made my own pasta either. But the cheese-less ravioli sounds pretty good!

  • Gabriela April 25, 2010, 12:25 am

    Holy YUM!
    Delicious recipe, Caitlin!
    Thanks for sharing 😀
    Brazilian XOXO´s,
    Gabriela

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) April 25, 2010, 12:47 am

    What a beautiful looking dinner!!

  • Brian April 25, 2010, 5:12 am

    Never made my own pasta but I always drool over it when they make it on tv. On Top Chef, if you can make your own pasta you’re pretty much guaranteed to win the challenge lol. Have fun tonight!

  • Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) April 25, 2010, 9:03 am

    Kudos to you for making such a creative meal! You’re so fearless in the kitchen. :mrgreen: I would love to give this a try.

  • Cyclist Kate April 25, 2010, 9:46 am

    Oh my gosh–the vegan pasta recipes in Nonna’s Italian Kitchen are KILLER. There’s a Ligurian herb-stuffed pasta in there that’s “ricotta” (almond milk based) filled and it’s incredible–nobody I’ve fed it to can tell they’re non-dairy. They’re pretty labor intensive, though, but good if you like puttering in the kitchen, drinking wine, and listening to good music.

  • runnerforever April 25, 2010, 9:53 am

    I like the ambition, making your own raviollis, wow! I don’t think I am quite there yet hehe.

  • Kristin (Cook, Bake and Nibble) April 25, 2010, 10:08 am

    I have made home made pasta, and lemme tell ya- it aint easy! In Italy, all we did was combine flour and salt (about 2 c/ 1/2 tsp), made a well, added 1 egg, a bit of oil and a bit of water, rolled into a dough, let it rest and then kneaded, kneaded, kneaded! Then rolled it out into shapes and that was it! It is TIME CONSUMING, though!!

    xo
    K

  • Megan @ The Oatmeal Diaries April 25, 2010, 10:10 am

    Sweet potatoes & black beans are a great combo! I think you should fry them and let us know how they turn out =P

  • Kelly (Local Foodie Fight) April 25, 2010, 10:56 am

    no but those look AWESOME! i guess it doesnt take THAT long but I just feel like I don’t have time to make pasta homemade! but yours look delish.

  • Kim @ LEO the lion says GER April 25, 2010, 11:46 am

    Try baking them instead. I just wrote a post about baking them, right before I read this! http://bit.ly/dpRUm4

    They’ll come out crispy but not greasy!

  • Sara@RunningInPinkProject April 25, 2010, 7:05 pm

    I LOVE all of the recipes you post. That ravioli looks awesome. I need to get brave enough to try that. I have been “borrowing” veggie recipes from your blog for a while now. 🙂

  • J @ If You Lived Here You'd Be Home Now April 25, 2010, 7:56 pm

    wow those look heavenly….i will have to give these a try. thanks for sharing!

  • Dennis April 26, 2010, 1:18 am

    Oh my gosh–the vegan pasta recipes in Nonna’s Italian Kitchen are KILLER. There’s a Ligurian herb-stuffed pasta in there that’s “ricotta” (almond milk based) filled and it’s incredible–nobody I’ve fed it to can tell they’re non-dairy. They’re pretty labor intensive, though, but good if you like puttering in the kitchen, drinking wine, and listening to good music.

  • Richard April 28, 2010, 1:11 am

    no but those look AWESOME! i guess it doesnt take THAT long but I just feel like I don’t have time to make pasta homemade! but yours look delish.

  • Michele June 5, 2010, 2:21 pm

    One thing I love to do when making pasta with wonton wrappers, is after boiling them for about 2 minutes, bake them at about 375* for 5 minutes to crispy them up.

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