Tofu Ricotta Pasta Filling – Dairy free

This dairy-free faux ricotta can be used in many pasta dishes – homemade tortellini, lasanga, stuffed shells… great to experiment with!   It’s a treat for people who can’t eat dairy, but I’ve also served it to the lactose tolerant to rave reviews.

What you need:

350 grams extra-firm tofu

3 cloves garlic, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 bunch fresh/box frozen spinach

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1/4 cup vegan parmesan (or lactose free)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

What you do:

1.  Combine tofu, garlic, olive oil, chopped garlic, and salt in food processor and blend until the tofu is finely ground.

2.  If you are using fresh spinach, you can wilt it in a frying pan, let it cool, and squeeze out the excess moisture.  If you are using frozen it should be thawed, and then you can squeeze the moisture out.

3.  Add parmesan, bread crumbs and pepper to the tofu mixture, and mix in well.

4.  Add spinach and mix in well.

5.  Now you can adjust the seasonings to taste, and use it to fill your pasta.

I have used this to:

-fill large brown rice pasta shells, then cover with tomato sauce and bake

-use as a layer in a lasagna with tomato sauce and vegan pesto

-fill homemade tortellini and top with either parmesan or tomato sauce

-you can also use this recipe without the spinach, bread crumbs and cheese as a substitute for ricotta

Here’s what it look like if you puree the spinach rather than mixing it in at the end: