Pumpkin Ravioli with Chocolate Yogurt Sauce

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for pumpkin pies and I do love a good pumpkin pie.  Vegan pumpkin pies are tricky though.  There are a million ( and I am probably low-balling that number) recipes out there all claiming to be the best.  But they all can’t possibly be the best.  So, you try one or another, but the texture on one is not quite what you hoped for, or the spice blend is not the way you prefer it to be.  A whole pie is a commitment though, so if you are in it, you are in it.

That’s why I came up with these pumpkin ravioli.  They are fancy enough to trot out (see what I did there?) at Thanksgiving, easy to make, easily customizable in that you can change the spice blend after tasting one, and you still get your pumpkin fix.

I am using a vegan ricotta here, to give the pumpkin a bit more substance since canned pumpkin tends to be a bit more watery than homemade roasted pumpkin and it won’t stay together in the center of the ravioli and is more likely to squirt out of the sides.  The ricotta also give the pumpkin a bit more texture and adds a bit of an acidic element to the mellow pumpkin which I think enhances the flavor.

I have made a chocolate dipping sauce for these, but you can just sprinkle them with some powdered sugar if you’d prefer (although the dip is ridiculously easy). Depending on what kind of yogurt you use, the sauce will be either thick like a frosting or thinner and better for dipping. Some Greek yogurts are super thick and creamy, while others contain more water and using a regular yogurt will guarantee that you will create a dipping sauce. There is no wrong yogurt to use here; it’s all about what you have on hand or what you like texture-wise.

They are best served warm, but you can make them ahead and the pop them in a low oven to rewarm them a bit before serving. If you want to retain the crispiness, I suggest heating them in an air fryer if you have one or a higher oven temperature, but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

You can use any kind of wontons, but they do make vegan ones that are typically in the refrigerated section near the produce in most supermarkets.

Ingredients:

• 24 wontons
• 1/3 cup ricotta
• 1/2 cup pumkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• water
• oil

Ingredients for chocolate sauce:

• 1/3 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

1. Whisk the ricotta, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup.
2. Spread out the wontons.  Brush the other edges of 1/2 of them (12) with he water.  Place a spoonful of filling on the middle.
3. Top the filled wontons with the remaining wontons and use a fork to press on top of the four sides to seal the wontons, making a ravioli.  Spray or lightly brush the wontons with oil.
4. Cook in the air fryer at 400 for 3 minute, or in the oven at 400 for 6-8 minutes, till golden and crispy,  flipping over halfway through.
5. While the ravioli are cooking, whisk together the yogurt, cacao and 1/4 cup maple syrup.  Greek yogurt will create a thick, fudgy sauce while regular yogurt will create a thinner sauce.

Enjoy!