Eggplant Ravioli

Adapted from Small Footprint Family

 Ravioli

• 1 small globe eggplant, peeled
• sea salt for sweating
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced

Filling

• 1 cup walnuts (buy the pre-chopped ones from the baking aisle...so much cheaper!!)
• 2 Tbsp. parsley chopped
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme
• I didn't have the above  3 in my cabinet, so I threw in about 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Italian Seasoning.
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
•  Liquify 1 tsp. sea salt 
• 3 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar (This will smell like it's too much at first, and that's what had me worried about this recipe, but when it's done & out of the dehydrator you don't notice it AT ALL)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Peel the eggplant and slice into 1/8″ thick rounds on a mandoline—the top half has less seeds, but is usually smaller in diameter—about 1 inch down from the top is the sweet spot. You’ll need about 16 pieces of the eggplant, but a couple extra pieces for back-up isn’t a bad idea. This will only use about 2-3 inches of the eggplant, so you might want to think about a second recipe and using it in the next day or so. **I didn't have a mandoline, so I just carefully sliced 1/8" rounds.
2. Salt the eggplant for about 30 minutes to “sweat.” Rinse the salt off of the eggplant, pat dry, and place it in a large non-reactive, glass dish in a single layer if possible (overlapping slightly is fine).
3. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pour over the eggplant. It’s a good idea to put a smaller non-reactive dish on top to weigh it down slightly.
4. Marinate for 1 hour, flipping the eggplant over half way through.
5. While the eggplant is marinating, add all of the filling ingredients into a food processor, and pulse until the walnuts have broken down into very small pieces and have begun to stick together.
6. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
7. Remove the eggplant slices and pat dry.
8. Lay an eggplant round in front of you and add about 1-2 tsp. of the filling in the center, being careful to not overfill. Fold the top of the eggplant over the filling and press down firmly on the edges to seal the ravioli.
9. Place the ravioli on a dehydrator tray and process about 6-7 hours, flipping about halfway through. The edges should be crisp, but the filling moist inside.
10. Top with Red Pepper Sauce below.

Red Pepper SauceMakes 2 cups

• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 2/3 cup basil, tightly packed
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup pure water
• 1 packet of Stevia (it's an all natural sugar substitute, you can just use a teaspoon or 2 of real sugar)

1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and well combined.
2. Spoon over your eggplant ravioli and enjoy!

If you want it warm, pop in the microwave for just 20 seconds or so. I promise, though, it still tastes amazing at room temperature. Shred some celery or carrots to use as a "pasta" layer underneath your ravioli. It's extra yummy that way.