By Cathy O'hagain, The Noil Cook Condiments & Dressings Recipes Spreads December 15, 2017

Creamy Almond Ricotta

Creamy Almond Ricotta is a really good spread on bread and has lots of uses in dishes like lasagnas, pastas and my favorite—on pizza.

It can be dressed up a little too with toasted almonds, a hit of grated nutmeg, lemon zest and black pepper.

The almonds need to be softened before making the ricotta to get the creamy consistency with a little nutty grainy texture left. You can put the almonds in a jar, pour boiling water over them and let sit for about an hour. They will be soft enough to blend to the right texture. Soaking the almonds overnight also works well. I do it both ways and there isn’t a noticeable difference in taste or texture. Try this creamy almond ricotta on the Swiss Chard & Creamy Almond Ricotta Pizza!

A micro plane grater with a nutmeg ball on top and the Creamy Almond Ricotta in a small bowl garnished with toasted almonds, nutmeg and fresh ground pepper behind.

Tools Used in this Recipe

  • 1 quart jar with lid
  • Chef Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • lemon squeezer
  • flexible spatula
  • glass jar for storing (to hold 1 1/4 cups)

Print Recipe
 Creamy Almond Ricotta
Course Appetizers & Snacks
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 0
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup blanched almonds sliced or chopped
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 tsps chickpea or sweet white miso
  • 2 tbls lemon juice
Course Appetizers & Snacks
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 0
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup blanched almonds sliced or chopped
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 tsps chickpea or sweet white miso
  • 2 tbls lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Either of the following two methods will get the almonds ready and soft enough to make creamy almond ricotta after they are rinsed and drained. a) Put them in a jar with the lid on and soak overnight in the refrigerator. Then drain the water and rinse one more time and continue to step #3.
  2. Or b) Place the almonds in the jar, pour 4 cups of boiling water to the jar and set aside for at least an hour. Drain the water and continue to step #3.
  3. Place the soaked almonds in the blender cup, then the boiling water in the blender cup. Using boiling water is key to achieving a creamy texture.
  4. Wrap a paper towel around the top so the liquid doesn’t spatter out.
    #7 Wrap a paper towel around the top of the blender cup.
  5. Blend on the highest setting for about 30 seconds, then turn it off and lift the stick up and push down the almonds and repeat a few times.
  6. Add in the lemon juice and miso and continue blending as in step #4 until creamy but with a little texture left.
  7. Taste it and add more lemon or miso if needed and blend a little more.