Buckwheat Ravioli
Many people think that buckwheat is a grain, but it’s really a fruit seed that is not related to wheat at all. It is high in protein, a rich source of magnesium, and can help you to keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the day.
Buckwheat is available in either light or dark varieties. The darker kind has an earthy, nutty taste and is thought to be more nutritious. Native to Eastern Europe, buckwheat plays an important role in the region’s traditional cuisines.
If you thought pasta was off the menu on a Candida diet, think again! You can pair this buckwheat ravioli with lots of different sauces. Try it with ajvar, a condiment made of red peppers that is popular in Balkan cuisine. Enjoy a taste of the old world.
Note: making gluten free pasta requires a different technique to regular pasta, because the gluten is what helps to make the dough supple and easy to work with. If your dough seems too dry, the answer is usually to add a little more water. This is especially true in drier climates.
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 clove finely minced garlic
- 1 pound ground meat, such as chicken or beef
- ½ pound greens, such as chard or spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups buckwheat flour
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- Ravioli filling (see ingredients above)
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the ground meat to the skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Then add the greens and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Finally, add the ground nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Take skillet off heat, set aside.
- In a large bowl, add buckwheat flour and salt, whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add egg yolks, egg, olive oil and water. With a fork, gently beat the egg mixture with out incorporating any of the flour mixture. Now with the fork, begin mixing in the flour mixture, a little at a time, with a stirring motion, until the dough is too stiff to mix with the fork.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead and shape dough into a smooth ball. If the dough is too dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough is soft and pliable, but not too wet. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Working with half of the dough at a time, roll out to a 1/8 inch thickness, then cut into 3 inch circles. Spoon a tablespoon of filling onto the center of a dough circle, then moisten the edges with water. Top with another dough circle and press along the edges until ravioli is firmly sealed. Set aside on a lightly floured surface. Repeat with remaining dough circles and filling.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently slide ravioli into the water and cook, a few at a time, until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove ravioli from pot with a skimmer, plate, serve with ajvar.
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This looks lovely for a special dinner in the later stages – thank you!
This recipe is ridiculous….sorry, I’ve tried loads of recipes on this site & they’ve all been great, but this one is a nightmare. I had to add tons more olive oil & another egg to get the flour to stick. Even then, it was SO crumbly, it all fell apart while I was cooking it. I’d love to know if anyone has managed this successfully.
Hi Carla, making gluten free pasta is much trickier than regular pasta. The gluten is what usually holds the pasta together and keeps it pliable. If the mixture seems too dry or crumbly, you just need to add a little water. Also note that some buckwheat flours tend to be composed differently to others, so it also depends on which brand you use. It might take a little experimentation, but you can do it!
lol never cooked before huh? recipes are guidelines. even in there is says to add water
You can just add some psyllium husk to get the same effect as gluten in wheat. It makes it very elastic. Mixed in water before
Yum!!
I add quite a bit of extra water to mine, I live in a dry climate. I only made the raviolis once, that was too much work for me. Now I make the flat disc, let it rest for 30 min, take a pizza cutter and make it into about 1/2 inch squares, then just boil like regular pasta, drain it, and add it to the meat mixture. Delicious and nutritious, even my 5 year old loves it, but I add some pesto to hers since she doesn’t have a Candida problem. I have found with almost every recipe, I can modify it a little for her and she loves it.