“Ricotta” Stuffed Cabbage

This is my gluten free (and pasta-free) version of stuffed shells. This “cheesy” cashew filling tastes just as indulgent as the real thing.

This is my gluten free solution to last week’s stuffed shells. You’ll notice it’s also pasta-free but trust me, this “cheesy” cashew filling tastes just as indulgent.

This little creation was a total happy accident… while I was shopping, I had filled my cart with everything necessary for the stuffed shells, with one ingredient left to go: the shells. And just my luck, no shells. I figured, I’d go searching for them somewhere else the next day. But when I got home I noticed a lonely cabbage in my fridge and voilà.

When I remade these (for this post) I found this beautiful savoy cabbage, but regular large green cabbage leaves worked just as well. Large halves of chard leaves (without the stems) were also delicious. In the summer, I’ll roll this filling with thin strips of zucchini or eggplant.

I grated a little bit of pecorino on top for a bit of a cheesy crust (but if you’re vegan just leave that off).

“ricotta” stuffed cabbage

 

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Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Serves: serves 4 (3 leaves per person)

Ingredients

vegan “ricotta”: (can be made ahead)

• 1.5 cups cashews, soak overnight & drain
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons ume vinegar (or sub more lemon + salt)
• ¼ cup water (just enough to get the blade going)
• salt, pepper to taste
• ½ cup crumbled firm tofu
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup finely chopped raw kale (or spinach)
• handful of chopped chives and/or other fresh herbs
• salt & pepper, to taste

for the cabbage rolls:

• 12 medium savoy cabbage leaves
• a few cups of marinara sauce
• drizzle of olive oil
• (optional) - top with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a blender or food processor, puree together the cashews, garlic, vinegar, and lemon juice. Add only enough water to help the blade along. Taste and add salt & pepper to your liking.
3. Scoop cashew cream into a medium bowl and add the crumbled tofu, oregano, red pepper flakes, kale, chives, and another few pinches of salt & pepper. Stir & taste.
4. Blanch cabbage leaves for a few seconds each (Dunk into boiling water, then chill in ice water. Dry them thoroughly before using). Trim off the tough part of the stems.
5. Prepare a baking dish with a good slathering of marinara at the bottom.
6. Scoop a few tablespoons of filling into each leaf. Gently tuck in the sides and roll them. Place them seam-side down into the baking dish. Top each with a generous spoonful of marinara and a drizzle of olive oil (and a grating of cheese if you're not vegan). Bake for 25 minutes.

Notes

pictured above is a ½ recipe, the recipe will make approx. 12 leaves full as written. If you're serving less, I suggest storing the filling separate from the leaves and rolling/baking them to serve.

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