Vegan Lemon Spinach Ricotta Sauce
Lasagna, baked ziti, creamy sauces, oh my!
These were all foods I thought I was going to have to give up when I went vegan in 2019. When I learned of my severe gluten intolerance, it had been hard enough finding those things without gluten. Adding the removal of dairy alone seemed like a tall ask, let alone eggs and meat.
How can one get a creamy pasta sauce without dairy? By using alternatives of course!
But here’s the thing…
Dairy free alternatives are beyond tricky. Some of them taste down right nasty and others often use items I’m allergic to for their base - usually cashews or almonds.
Over the years my taste buds have changed and I’m actually ok living without cheese. There are a few things that are harder like cream cheese and sour cream that I’ve missed. Thankfully, about two years ago I found the brand Tofutti. Their products are soy based, but that works in our house. They’ve got minimal ingredients and taste delicious!
It didn’t replace everything I used to eat, but that’s ok. I have moved to a more whole foods based diet. Still, it would be nice to have some of those foods I used to love so much.
So imagine my surprise when I was walking through my favorite specialty grocery store and I found out Tofutti makes ricotta!
It was totally unexpected and without even having a plan in place (I’m very Type A and if it’s not on the list - it doesn’t go in the cart) I grabbed two containers.
Did I know what I was going to do with them? Nope! Not at all. But in the cart they went. And then they say in my fridge for two weeks while I figured out what I was going to make. Oops, but such is life!
Anyways, while I know there are so many traditional recipes I could make, I wanted something a little bit different. After foraging through my fridge and freezer for what I had on hand, I decided to make a sauce using the ricotta, lemon juice, and spinach. Easy enough, right? Actually, it really was.
Here’s what I used
8oz Steamed/wilted spinach
1 Container Tofutti ricotta
1/3 Cup shredded parmesan (pick your favorite, I used Follow Your Heart)
1TBS Minced garlic
2 Lemons - Juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Water (to thin to your preference)
And the process…
Honestly, not much to say here. I dumped it all in the pot and mixed it up!
The one note that I’ll add is that the ricotta was difficult to mix in while it was cold. As the sauce heats up, the ricotta was easier to incorporate so just give it some time.
This sauce is thick! So use a little water to thin it out. I didn’t list a specific amount because it will be to your preference. I like a thicker sauce, so I added it really slowly and just little bits at a time until I got the desired consistency.
The night I made it, I served it over some gluten-free lentil pasta. For the leftovers (because I always make leftovers) I tried using it in different ways. I ate it with chips as a dip for a snack one day, and used it to make a flatbread pizza the next! It would also be good on rice or gnocchi.
What do you think? Is this something you’d made? I’d love to know in the comments!
