I’m of the opinion that the internet needs more pasta recipes. Particularly those that involve olive oil and garlic linguine on beds of vegan whipped ricotta!! And so, I am here for you with this tasty dish! This delicious combo was born after I had some serious pea ricotta cravings. The creamy, sweet pea and soft cheese combo is so good I’m hard put to not just eat it straight with a spoon. But it gets even better when twirled around garlicky pasta. The salty, slippery, garlic noodles pair with the mild creamy vegan ricotta so perfectly. I just can’t get enough! Which is good, because the vegan whipped pea ricotta does make quite a bit. Enough for two rounds of the pasta, or extra for topping toasts, layering into lasagnas, or other dishes. No complaints here, but you can always half the ricotta if you need. This might be the perfect recipe for spring. The peas are fresh tasting and it’s a quick recipe that won’t have you laboring stovetop for long.
First, make the vegan whipped pea ricotta.
In our vegan green pea ricotta we have: sweet peas, tofu, cashews, olive oil, garlic, salt, and basil. Yep that’s right. Just 7 easy ingredients. And one step: blend. The recipe starts with your typical creamy, savory, soft vegan ricotta. With tofu as the creamy base, enriched with cashews and a drizzle of olive oil. Salt and garlic for seasoning. Then we add green peas and basil to the mix. Frozen peas are easy to find year round and I’ll usually use them in this recipe. But if you can find shelled peas and want to use those, be my guest! If using frozen, defrost your peas first. You can either let them sit out on the counter for a bit or quickly heat them in the microwave or stovetop. The peas sweeten the ricotta and the basil adds to the fresh flavor. Stick the vegan whipped pea ricotta in the fridge until you’re ready to use. The ricotta thickens a bit as it chills. I also happen to love it cold and paired with the hot noodles.
Next, cook the linguine.
Once the ricotta is ready to go, bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta to package directions. You’ll want to cook it within 1 minute of being perfectly done as you’ll finish the cooking once the pasta is added to the sauce. Right before draining the pasta, scoop out about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water and set aside for your sauce.
Lastly, we work on the sauce.
The olive oil and garlic sauce cooks so quickly, that you’ll want to cook it right as the pasta is finished, or maybe in the last minute if you’re really confident about your multitasking abilities. This recipe is 100% inspired by aglio e olio, which might be simple food at its best! The garlic is thinly sliced and fried at a low heat in a good amount of olive oil. As soon as it turns a couple darker to a light golden color, add the red pepper flakes and let those fry for 30 seconds. The garlic will only cook for 2-3 minutes. There’s a fine balance between raw garlic and over cooked/burnt garlic. The prior will make for a very pungent and overpowering garlicky dish. The latter will turn bitter and a bit unpleasant. This is why you want to be ready with the pasta cooking water, about a cup of which gets added as soon as the red pepper flakes have sizzled for half a minute. Bring it to a boil, and let it boil for a couple of minutes to reduce slightly. Then add the cooked linguine, turn the heat down to low and let it cook and the sauce absorb into the pasta, about 1 minute. Once the pasta is perfectly done and coated in sauce, turn the heat off and add the parsley and vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast). Taste it and add salt if it needs any, but if you’ve salted the pasta water well then you might find it doesn’t need anything! It’s not a difficult recipe to get right, just something you want to keep a close eye on as it cooks!
And then we plate!
Spread some vegan whipped pea ricotta on the bottom of a plate or bowl. Top with the olive oil and garlic linguine. Sprinkle with a bit more vegan parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to taste. Then dig in! I’m obsessed. If you make this garlic linguine with vegan whipped pea ricotta, leave a comment below and rate the recipe on the recipe card. And please share your photos with me on Instagram, tag @thecuriouschickpea and #thecuriouschickpea. I love seeing your recreations! The recipe for the whipped pea ricotta makes about 2x what you’ll need to serve with a pound of pasta, but use extra to make the recipe again, or enjoy it on toast, as a pasta sauce itself, stuffed into shells or between lasagna noodles, or wherever your creativity takes you! Toast pine nuts at 325 ºF for about 5 minutes or until they are a couple of shades darker. Alternatively, roast over a dry skillet on low heat. Whipped pea ricotta is adapted from my pea ricotta stuffed shells with red wine marinara.
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with Assist Handle Holder, 12", Red Silicone
