Let’s travel a little! For today’s recipes, we will “go” to Italy and make a traditional Italian ricotta cheese. Except, it will be a completely vegan version! I love Italian cuisine more than anything! That’s why becoming a vegan wasn’t easy for me due to my crazy addiction to cheesy Italian food. That was really challenging until I discovered for myself lots of delicious vegan alternatives. And one of them was vegan ricotta!
Traditionally Italian ricotta is made of cow’s milk. Almost no Italian dish can be made without this cheese. In addition, it is also often used as the basis for many Mediterranean dishes. It can be served with vegetables, especially it goes well with tomatoes. Because of its exquisite and very delicate taste ricotta is one of the important ingredients of various desserts.
I’m going to show you that the taste of vegan ricotta can be as delicious as an original dairy version. Except, it doesn’t require animal suffering and doesn’t hurt your health. Try to make these two variants of vegan ricotta made of tofu and cashew nuts. The taste of each of these vegan cheeses is good in its own way, so you decide which of them will be your favorite!
Vegan Ricotta Recipe #1: Tofu Version
This vegan ricotta is perfect as a filler for vegan lasagna, vegan pizza or pasta “shells” and manicotti.
Ingredients:
- 1 pack extra firm tofu (drain and crumble)
- 1 1/2 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- a pinch freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- a pinch of oregano
- dash of onion powder
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- salt and black ground pepper (to taste).
It is very simple to prepare. Just blend all the ingredients in a blender until combined.
Vegan Ricotta Recipe #2: Cashew Version
This vegan ricotta is made of cashew nuts. It is also great for vegan lasagna, vegan pasta “shells”, and just as a spread for your breakfast toast or sandwich.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of soaked raw cashews
- 1 tsp white miso paste
- 1/4 cup water (use as needed to desired consistency)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- dash of onion powder
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 garlic clove
- salt and black ground pepper (to taste).
- Let the cashews soak for at least two hours in a bowl of water. The cashews should be covered with water about 2-3 inches.
- Drain the cashews.
- Put the cashews and all other ingredients in the blender. Blend all the ingredients until you get a creamy consistency.
- Refrigerate in a sealed container for 1-2 hours to solidify the mixture. If after refrigerating your vegan ricotta became too thick, add some water to it and mix it.