Bowties with Veggies and Roasted Garlic Ricotta

I’m so happy there are some leftovers! The original recipe uses real ricotta, but not only did I make use my go-to ricotta recipe, I also added/omitted some ingredients. Ricotta cheese has so much fat it’s ridiculous (10 g/fat, 6 g/saturated fat) so even if you do eat dairy, I urge you to try my tofu-version that contains 5 grams of fat, and only 1 gram of saturated fat. Plus, you’ll also benefit from the protein and the no cholesterol! Also, if you think roasting garlic is a pain, it’s really not. It’s so easy to do and takes only 30 minutes, in which time, you can prepare all of your ingredients. Ideally, if you can roast the garlic and make the ricotta the day before, it will be even more flavorful by the time you make this dish. I think you’ll find this is a great main meal or side dish that will please even picky eaters.

INGREDIENTS:
Tofu-Ricotta:
14-oz pkg extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 C nutritional yeast
2 Tbs lemon juice
Optional: 1/2 C Daiya Mozzarella shreds
The rest:
1 lb bow-tie pasta (any variety would be fine)
6 cloves of garlic (or more if you want)
Olive oil
1-1/2 C cherry tomatoes, halved
4-6 C fresh spinach, chopped
2 C mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 C reserved pasta-cooking water

DIRECTIONS:
To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 425. Cut off the tips of each garlic clove and place on a piece of foil; drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up loosely in the foil, place on a small baking sheet, and roast for about 30 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Meanwhile, however, prepare your other ingredients. To make the “ricotta,” combine all of the ingredients in a food processor, but don’t blend it yet until the garlic is done. You’ll want to add the garlic cloves and blend everything together, along with the 1/4 C of the reserved pasta-cooking water. So until the garlic is ready, at least throw together the ingredients to get started. Cook the pasta according to package instructions while you saute the mushrooms in a small pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. Chop your spinach, slice those tomatoes, and finish off the ricotta by adding the newly roasted garlic and water. (For the garlic cloves, gently squeeze an end and the skins should come right off, then discard.)

Drain the pasta and rinse with hot water to remove as much starch as possible. Return the pot to the stove and over medium-low heat, add the spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms; saute with a smidgen of water until wilted and heated through.

Add the pasta and ricotta and combine everything thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Bowties with Veggies and Roasted Garlic Ricotta

 

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Ricotta cheese has so much fat it's ridiculous (10 g/fat, 6 g/saturated fat) so even if you do eat dairy, I urge you to try my tofu-version that contains 5 grams of fat, and only 1 gram of saturated fat. Plus, you'll also benefit from the protein and the no cholesterol! Also, if you think roasting garlic is a pain, it's really not. It's so easy to do and takes only 30 minutes, in which time, you can prepare all of your ingredients. Ideally, if you can roast the garlic and make the ricotta the day before, it will be even more flavorful by the time you make this dish. I think you'll find this is a great main meal or side dish that will please even picky eaters.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Tofu-Ricotta:
• 14-oz pkg extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ⅓ C nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• Optional: ½ C Daiya Mozzarella shreds
• The rest:
• 1 lb bow-tie pasta (any variety would be fine)
• 6 cloves of garlic (or more if you want)
• Olive oil
• 1-1/2 C cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4-6 C fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 C mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ¼ C reserved pasta-cooking water

Directions

1. To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 425.
2. Cut off the tips of each garlic clove and place on a piece of foil; drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up loosely in the foil, place on a small baking sheet, and roast for about 30 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, however, prepare your other ingredients. To make the "ricotta," combine all of the ingredients in a food processor, but don't blend it yet until the garlic is done. You'll want to add the garlic cloves and blend everything together, along with the ¼ C of the reserved pasta-cooking water. So until the garlic is ready, at least throw together the ingredients to get started.
4. Cook the pasta according to package instructions while you saute the mushrooms in a small pan with a teaspoon of olive oil.
5. Chop your spinach, slice those tomatoes, and finish off the ricotta by adding the newly roasted garlic and water. (For the garlic cloves, gently squeeze an end and the skins should come right off, then discard.)
6. Drain the pasta and rinse with hot water to remove as much starch as possible. Return the pot to the stove and over medium-low heat, add the spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms; saute with a smidgen of water until wilted and heated through.
7. Add the pasta and ricotta and combine everything thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

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