Store Find: Manini’s Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Ravioli

Finding gluten-free noodles without corn flour or corn starch is fairly easy in grocery stores nowadays, but finding Italian pre-made items, such as ravioli, that are both dairy-free and gluten-free (it’s usually one or the other, not both) is uncommon. Then there’s the additional complication that the dairy-free filling needs to be coconut-free as well, and it’s near impossible to achieve.

Manini’s is a small gluten-free specializing brand that managed to achieve just this with their line of gluten and dairy free (and coconut free!) raviolis. As of now, they offer 2 flavors in this category:

These raviolis came refrigerated and are meant to be stored in the freezer. To cook, just pop the contents into a pot of salted and boiling water, cook for the duration indicated on the box, and then serve with a sauce of your choice.

Raviolis in a pot of water
Once the water starts boiling, pop the raviolis into the pot and cook for about 4-5 minutes. I recommend using a bigger pot than me since the frozen temperature of the raviolis negated the boil for the 1st 30 seconds or so.

I’ve tried both flavors in the past and the Roasted Tomato & Basil has to be my favorite. Those who can eat real cheese will notice the absence of it (cashew cheese is an excellent texture and flavor replacement, but it does lack the fatty richness of real cheese), but personally…? I like this better. Cashew cheese is light, less fatty, making eating a whole container of raviolis less caloric and guilt-ridden (it’s still a solid amount of calories, don’t mistake me, but less than if those pastas were filled with cheese).

nutrition facts and ingredients list for the ravioli
Manini’s not only manages to be gluten-free, corn-free, dairy-free, and coconut-free, they also manage to do it without using rice as staple ingredient

Manini’s also sells fresh pastas that are without filling and meet my dietary requirements as well, but I haven’t personally tried those.

Unfortunately you can’t direct-order the raviolis from Manini’s website and need to rely on their 3rd party vendors for access (you can order the flours, pizza crusts, and brownie mixes direct, just not the refrigerated fresh items). The primary vendors listed on their site are Amazon Fresh and William Sonoma. William Sonoma currently only stocks their non-dairy-free options (which you must buy in a variety pack) and from personal experience, the stock availability from Amazon Fresh can be pretty random.

I occasionally find boxes at certain Whole Foods or Sprouts stores and when I do, I make sure I stock up on a couple while I can. I leave them in the freezer for those days when I have a real craving for Italian and hopefully they last until the next time I find more at the next store hunt.

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