This creamy cashew ricotta is easy to prepare in a food processor. Raw cashews are pre-soaked overnight, or if necessary, they can be pre-cooked. Use this dairy-free ricotta in any Italian recipe including pizza, manicotti, stuffed shells, lasagna, and the like. It also makes a perfect spread for crackers. This recipe makes one cup of cheese; it can be doubled or even tripled as needed.
Yes, it’s possible to make delicious non-dairy ricotta – and yes, it is simple to prepare! Feel free to jazz it up by folding in fresh chopped parsley, chives, basil, or dill. 🙂
Method Overview
- Presoak (or precook) the cashews
- Roast garlic
- Using a food processor, blend all of the ingredients until creamy
Creamy Cashew Ricotta
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, presoaked (or precooked)
- 6 garlic cloves, roasted (do not use raw garlic)
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Presoak (or precook) the cashews; see notes.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Put an untrimmed garlic bulb, with at least 5 cloves, into a small covered baking dish. A ramekin or garlic roaster works well, or any small covered baking dish. Roast it in the preheated oven until the garlic aroma starts to fill the kitchen and the cloves begin to soften; this will take about 15 minutes.
- Put the presoaked (or precooked) cashews in the food processor bowl with 5 cloves of roasted and peeled garlic. Add the lemon juice, water, salt, and pepper.Run the processor until the cashew ricotta is creamy, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. This will take at least five minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
The above nutrition data is for 1/4-cup
Are cashews healthy?
If you eat plant-based you probably consume your fair share of cashews, and you’ve probably wondered if regularly eating these versatile kidney shaped nuts is healthy. Let me put your mind at ease – yes they are good for you! Studies have show that incorporating raw, unsalted cashews and other nuts into your diet may:
- decrease total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol
- reduce systolic blood pressure
- reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardio vascular disease, and obesity
Cashews contain a goodly amount of copper, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, and zinc – as well as other nutrients.
If you enjoy my Creamy Cashew Ricotta, you should also try my Creamy Dill Sauce and Dressing recipe.
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