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This homemade vegan ravioli recipe has tender yet perfectly chewy pasta dough filled with a herby and ‘cheesy’ dairy-free ricotta. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process: mixing the dough, shaping each ravioli, and sealing in the creamy vegan ricotta cheese filling. And don’t worry…just like my vegan butternut squash ravioli, no fancy pasta machine is required!
Why You’ll Love this Homemade Vegan Ravioli Recipe
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: Herby, savory, with the perfect salty, ‘cheesy’ bite.
- Texture: Tender yet chewy al dente vegan pasta dough with a creamy filling inside.
- Difficulty: Easy to intermediate. If this is your first time making homemade ravioli, I’ll walk you through exactly how to do so.
Why We Love It → There’s something so satisfying about making your own ravioli from scratch. The soft, pillowy pasta filled with creamy tofu ricotta honestly feels like the ultimate homemade comfort food. To be honest, I always thought making vegan pasta dough from scratch would be super difficult…but then I realized just how simple (and fun) it actually is. I just can’t get enough of these ravioli!
Watch How to Make It
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Vegan Ravioli Dough Ingredients:
There are two parts to making your own ravioli: the homemade vegan pasta dough and the homemade vegan ravioli filling. Below are the ingredients for the fresh pasta dough!
Pasta Dough Notes & Substitutions
- All Purpose Flour: I used King Arthur’s All Purpose Flour which has about 11% protein content. You can also use ’00’ Pizza Flour which has a slightly higher protein content.
- Vegan Egg Replacer: Traditional ravioli dough is made with eggs. So this recipe uses a combination of cornstarch and tapioca starch mixed with water to replace them. You could also use only cornstarch. I’ve tested a few other egg substitutes like Bob’s Red Mill Egg replacer (2 tbsp + 6 tbsp water) as well as a 1/3 cup of JUST Egg in this recipe.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For flavor and fat.
- Table Salt or Sea Salt: For flavor.
- Water: To bring the dough together.
Herby Tofu Ricotta Cheese Filling Ingredients:
These ravioli are stuffed with a homemade tofu ricotta. You can use store-bought vegan cheese instead if you’d like but below are a few key ingredients for the homemade version I made:
- Firm or extra-firm tofu, when blended, has a texture that is SO similar to traditional ricotta.
- Nutritional yeast brings a slightly nutty flavor that helps mimic the mild taste of traditional ricotta.
- Lemon juice adds a layer of acidity to the ricotta. You can sub this for some apple cider vinegar.
- Fresh basil and parsley add tons of herby flavor.
Helpful Equipment
- Large bowl: For mixing the dough and the filling. You’ll also want to blend the filling in a food processor.
- Ravioli press, pastry cutter, cookie cutter, or sharp knife: For pressing and cutting the ravioli.
- Rolling Pin: This is necessary if you don’t have a pasta machine!
- Optional- pasta machine or pasta maker: To roll out the pasta dough, this isn’t necessary but would make the process faster.
How to Make Vegan Ravioli with Tofu Ricotta
1. Making the Homemade Pasta Dough
Start by combining all-purpose flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Create a well in the center and add the vegan egg replacer, olive oil, and 6 tablespoons of water to begin.
Using a fork or your hands, gradually mix the wet and dry ingredients together. As the dough starts to come together, knead it inside the bowl while adding more water, a little at a time.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-9 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic.
Once kneaded, wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place it in a covered bowl. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 45 minutes. This helps the gluten relax and makes rolling much easier later on.
2. Rolling & Shaping the Homemade Ravioli
While the dough rests, prepare the tofu ricotta using this recipe.
Once the dough has rested, divide it into two equal portions. Lightly flour your surface and roll each portion into a thin rectangle, about 1/16 of an inch thick.
Using a Ravioli Mold:
Lay one sheet of pasta over the metal base of the ravioli maker and press the top piece gently over it to create small indentations.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the tofu ricotta filling into each pocket.
Lay the second sheet of pasta over the top and press gently with your fingers or roll with a rolling pin to remove air pockets and seal the layers together.
Invert the ravioli press onto a floured surface. Gently release the pasta dough from the press.
Use a pastry cutter or knife to cut the ravioli into squares. Re-roll any pasta dough scraps and repeat the steps above to make 20-24 total ravioli.
Use a fork to press the edges and make sure all the edges are sealed.
Without a Ravioli Mold:
- Place one sheet of dough on a floured surface.
- Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of filling onto the sheet, spacing each mound evenly apart.
- Carefully place the second sheet of dough on top and use your fingers to press out air pockets around the filling.
- Use a knife to cut out squares and use a fork to crimp the edges. See images below for reference! ⤵️
3. Cooking the Ravioli
You can transfer the ravioli to a parchment lined tray. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to cook to prevent them from drying out.
Bring a large pot of water (make sure it’s salted) to a rolling boil. Drop the ravioli in and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Then plate!
Serving Ideas
Once cooked, you can drain them carefully and serve immediately with your favorite sauce. These are delicious with a simple garlic ‘butter’ sauce, marinara, or a dairy-free pesto.
- Want another filling idea? Check out my vegan butternut squash ravioli recipe. This one is pan fried and coated in a simple dairy-free brown butter sage sauce.
- You can use this recipe as a base and fill the dough with whatever your heart desires. Ingredients like spinach, mushrooms, vegan cheese and more would all be delicious.
Storing the Ravioli & Vegan Pasta Dough
Storing Shaped Ravioli in the Fridge
Once you’ve filled and shaped the ravioli, they can be kept in the fridge for about 2 days before cooking. Here’s what to do:
- Lay the uncooked ravioli in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Cover the entire sheet with plastic wrap to keep the ravioli from drying out.
- When ready to cook, drop the ravioli into boiling water for 3-4 minutes until they float to the top and are heated through.
Freezing the Ravioli
If you want to make the ravioli in advance or store leftovers, you can definitely freeze them. The ravioli can be frozen for up to 2 months:
- Transfer the ravioli in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours until firm.
- Then, transfer the ravioli to an airtight container to prevent freezer burn and keep them fresh.
- To cook from frozen, drop the ravioli directly into boiling water without thawing. Boil for 5-6 minutes until they’re cooked through and floating at the top.
Helpful Tips For Amazing Homemade Vegan Ravioli
- Make the fresh pasta dough ahead of time: If you’re not shaping the ravioli right away, you can keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to use it, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes to make it easier to roll out.
- Roll the dough out super thin: The trick to perfectly tender ravioli is how thin you roll the dough. Be sure it’s about 1/16 of an inch thick for the best texture.
- Be sure to crimp the edges: Use a fork to really make sure those edges are sealed. Otherwise, filling will leak out when you boil them.
these create the best flavor & texture!
More Delicious Vegan Pasta Recipes:
Homemade Vegan Ravioli with Ricotta Cheese Filling
Equipment
- 1 Ravioli Press this is optional
- 1 Pastry Cutter or Cookie Cutter
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Vegan Pasta Dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, 240g
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 2 tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, plus 6 tbsp water (or use 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp tapioca starch + ¼ cup water– see notes for more substitutions)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for kneading
- 6-9 tbsp water, divided
Dairy-Free Ricotta Cheese Filling:
- 1 recipe Herby Vegan Ricotta, or use a vegan store-bought version
Vegan Egg Wash:
- 2 tbsp oat milk or soy milk
Instructions
- Make the vegan tofu ricotta according to this recipe. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or until ready to use.1 recipe Herby Vegan Ricotta
Make the Pasta Dough
- Sift flour and salt in a large bowl and create a well in the center.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp fine salt
- Make the vegan egg replacer. Mix the Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer with 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, or mix cornstarch and tapioca starch with 4 tablespoons of water. Pour the prepared vegan egg replacer in the well along with olive oil and 6 tablespoons of water.2 tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 6-9 tbsp water
- Fold the dry ingredients into the liquid, then use your hands to knead the mixture in the bowl until dough starts forming. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed, then transfer to a floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes total until smooth (Tip: oil hands with 1 teaspoon of olive oil if needed).
- Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes to let the dough rest. The dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Assemble Ravioli- Using a Ravioli Press
- Divide the dough ball in half and roll each half into a 6" x 14" rectangle (1/16" thick).Note: Roll the dough thinner than you think necessary – when you think it's thin enough, roll it a bit more!
- Place one sheet on the greased metal ravioli press and place the plastic mold on top to create pockets. (See below for shaping without a ravioli press.)
- Fill each pocket with 1 tablespoon of filling. Cover with the second dough sheet, press gently together or gently roll the dough with a rolling pin.
- Then invert onto a floured surface. Use a pastry cutter or ravioli cutter to trim off the excess dough and cut out each ravioli square. Re-roll the dough scraps and repeat the steps above until you have 20-24 ravioli.
Assembly without a Press
- Roll two 6" x 14" rectangles (1/16" thick) and brush both with vegan egg wash. On one piece, place 1 tablespoon filling drops 1" apart, then cover with a second dough sheet. Press gently between filling to remove air.2 tbsp oat milk or soy milk
- Cut into squares around filling with a pizza cutter or pastry cutter and crimp edges with fork. Re-roll scraps and repeat. See photos in the post above for help.
Cook the Ravioli
- Boil the fresh ravioli in water 3-4 minutes (see notes if cooking from frozen). Top with your favorite sauce and enjoy! See notes for storage tips.
Video
Recipe notes
- For the Cornstarch + Tapioca Starch ‘Egg’: Tapioca starch can be substituted for 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
- For JUST Egg: Use 1/3 cup of JUST Egg instead of Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer and water.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
- Place the wrapped dough in an airtight container to make sure it stays soft and doesn’t absorb any other fridge odors.
- When you’re ready to use it, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes to make it easier to roll out.
- Lay the uncooked ravioli in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This helps prevent sticking and makes it easy to transfer the ravioli later.
- Cover the entire sheet with plastic wrap to protect the ravioli from drying out.
- When you’re ready to cook, simply drop the ravioli into boiling water for 3-4 minutes until they float to the top and are heated through. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Place the ravioli in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours, or until they’re firm.
- Once frozen, transfer the ravioli to an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag. This prevents freezer burn and keeps the ravioli fresh.
- To cook from frozen, drop the ravioli directly into boiling water without thawing. Boil for 5-6 minutes until they’re cooked through and floating at the top.
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