Raw Hazelnut “Ricotta”
I wanted to make raw lasagna, and had seen a few recipes for nut-based ricottas—usually made from cashews. At my grocery store, I was dismayed to find a raw cashew shortage, but I thought that hazelnuts just might work.
It took some playing to get the proportions right, but I’m pretty happy with this hazelnut ricotta. It has a nice balance of nutty sweetness and savoriness, and the hint of lemon lightens up the richness. It’s fantastic in my raw lasagna (I’ll post the recipe for that later this week), but also makes a tasty dip or spread. I think it pairs especially well with cool, mild veggies like cucumber and fennel.
2 cups chopped hazelnuts, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup almond milk
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
2 T chopped parsley
1 T chopped chives
1/4 tsp salt
Zest of 1 lemon
Place hazelnuts in food processor, run until crumbly. Add almond milk, then run the food processor until the mixture is creamy — basically, let it go until it looks like ricotta. Then add the garlic, herbs, salt and lemon. Process until combined. Chill.
