When you are chosen to come up with an original recipe with kiwifruit, you tend to lean towards dishes that are traditionally sweet such as fruit smoothies, breakfast items, or desserts. But what do you do when you find out that you’re chosen to take this beautifully sweet fruit and turn it into an entree?
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Kiwi Infused Pork Ravioli
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
Description
What do you do when you find out that you’re chosen to take this beautifully sweet fruit and turn it into an entree?
Ingredients
Kiwi Infused Pork Filling
- 1lb (450 g) ground lean pork
- 3 Zespri kiwifruit, peeled
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 chili pepper of your choice for heat, minced (optional)
- Pasta dough, either fresh from the grocery store or make it yourself!
Zespri Kiwi Sesame vinegrette
- 1 kiwifruit, peeled
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Take your peeled kiwifruit and place in a bowl, using a fork to mash the kiwi into small chunks. Add in pork, garlic, ginger, salt, ground pepper, green onions and chili pepper. Using your hands, mix well so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, but no longer than 30! (Kiwifruit acts as a tenderizer and will break the pork down fairly quickly.)
- Prepare the vinaigrette by adding kiwifruit to a bowl and mash with the back of a fork. Add in ginger, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. Whisk well or place in a jar/bottle with a lid and shake. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Take a sheet of pasta and lay out on a lightly floured surface. Using a spoon, place about 1/2 tbsp of the pork filling out on the pasta about 1 inch apart. Take another sheet of pasta and put on top.
- I don’t have a pasta cutter or a round small cookie cutter so I used the rim of a wine glass to cut out the pasta into round shapes.
- Wet a finger with water and run it around the edges of the pasta. Press the edges together, making sure to get the air out of the ravioli before finally sealing the edges together with the back of a fork. Set aside and repeat with the rest.
- Boil lightly salted water and add the ravioli a few at a time. Cook about 2-3 minutes. Remove the ravioli from the water with a slotted spoon.
- Place cooked ravioli and kiwifruit vinaigrette in a bowl, tossing to coat and serve.
Notes
- If you prefer to use a different meat or filling other than pork, try ground turkey/chicken or minced mushrooms for a vegan/vegetarian dish!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the pork filling need to rest in the refrigerator for no longer than 30 minutes?
Kiwifruit contains a natural enzyme (actinidin) that acts as a meat tenderizer and will rapidly break down the pork if left too long. The recipe specifies a maximum of 30 minutes in the refrigerator — exceed that window and the filling will turn mushy rather than staying tender.
Can I use a different protein or make this vegetarian?
Yes — the recipe notes suggest ground turkey or chicken as direct swaps for the 1 lb of ground lean pork, or minced mushrooms for a vegan or vegetarian version. The kiwi-sesame vinaigrette dressing works equally well with any of these fillings. 
How do I seal the ravioli without a pasta cutter?
The recipe author uses the rim of a wine glass to cut the pasta into rounds, then wets a finger with water, runs it around the edges, presses the two layers together, and presses the seam firmly with the back of a fork to seal — making sure to squeeze out any air pockets before the final press.
