Vegan White Pizza Recipe: With Tofu Ricotta (No Cashews)

This vegan white pizza recipe is really, really, really good. I have been making pizza with my mom, dad and sister since I was 3 years old. I remember getting that round of dough from the corner pizzeria on Long Island, NY and loading it with globs of ricotta then topping it with fresh mozzarella from Uncle Giuseppe’s and our favorite toppings.

When I became vegan in 2004, did I have to give up white pizza? Of course not. I’m New York Italian — no way I’m giving up pizza. I just made it vegan! With the best, easiest and cheapest tofu ricotta, the finest dough of the land, vegan mozzarella of your choice and toppingzzz! In this case, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach FTW.

This recipe is very easy and definitely a crowd-pleaser. The trickiest part for me is working with the dough. Luckily my boo has a couple years of assistant pizza chef under his belt so he is a dough master. Thanks to him, my pizzas now look like circles and not like “guess the country” shapes. But if you don’t have these skills, luckily the mystery shapes still taste just as good as the circles, so shine on, you crazy diamond!

What is vegan white pizza sauce?

Vegan white pizza is essentially pizza that uses a vegan ricotta instead of tomato sauce. So vegan white pizza sauce is actually just a vegan ricotta. On top of the non-dairy ricotta, you simply put some vegan mozzarella and your favorite toppings. My vegan ricotta is made from simple, affordable ingredients like tofu, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper and optional fresh basil.

Actually, my tofu ricotta is kinda famous in my house and my (non-vegan) family comes lurking with spoons when they know I’m making it. I have to shoo them away or else there will be none left for the pizza! I also use the ricotta for my baked ziti, lasagna, eggplant rollatini, manicotti and more.

Facciamo la pizza!

(Let’s make pizza!)

Vegan White Pizza Recipe: With Tofu Ricotta (No Cashews)

White pizza is my favorite!! Though I love tomato sauce, there is something so indulgent and comforting about a white pizza loaded with homemade vegan ricotta and my fave toppings. This is the perfect recipe for a Friday pizza night. But whatever day of the week, vegan white pizza rules.

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 15-17 minutes
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

I always recommend non-GMO, organic ingredients wherever possible. Bonus points for locally-sourced <3

Materials needed:

• Perforated circular pizza pan (non-perforated also works fine).
• Food processor. This is pretty essential for the ricotta. I have processed it with my hands in an emergency situation before but it’s not nearly as creamy. Food processor is an excellent investment for vegan ricotta, hummus, pesto — so many things!

For the dough:

• A “round of dough” from your local pizzeria. You can also find fresh-made whole wheat and regular dough at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
• Flour, for your work surface and working with the dough
• Olive oil, for greasing your pizza pan.

For the ricotta:

• 1 pack (1 lb) firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)
• .5 teaspoon black pepper
• .5 teaspoon garlic powder
• handful fresh basil (optional, but recommended for basil lovers)

For the toppings:

• Your favorite vegan mozzarella. My favorite used to be Daiya, but for pizza now I gravitate more toward Follow your Heart shreds or Miyoko’s Fresh Mozzarella.
• Your favorite toppings. I used jarred sundried tomatoes, and frozen spinach that I sautéed a bit with olive oil before putting on top of pizza. You can put fresh pineapple, sautéed broccoli, vegan pepperoni, artichoke hearts—the options are endless.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F
2. Rub the surface of your pan with a little olive oil and set aside
3. Prepare the vegan ricotta
   • Place tofu and olive oil in your food processor, process until mostly smooth
   • Add nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and basil (if using) and process until smooth
   • Taste test to see if there is anything missing. This step is KEY! Add more of whatever it is lacking
   • Process until complete smooth and creamy and set aside
4. Prepare the dough
   • Sprinkle a clean, dry surface with a generous dusting of flour (I used my countertop)
   • Work the dough into a medium circle so the dough is about a half-inch thick
   • Place the dough onto your lightly greased pizza pan
5. Assemble your pizza
   • Dollop your ricotta on your dough and spread evenly. There should be a generous layer of ricotta
   • Top the ricotta with your choice of vegan mozzarella. I used almost a whole pack of Follow your Heart mozzarella shreds
   • Put your favorite toppings over the vegan mozzarella. I put chopped, sautéed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and some additional dollops of tofu ricotta
6. Bake your pizza
   • Place pizza on center rack in your preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden and desired level of crispy. I like to take a spatula and peak at the bottom of the crust to see the color
7. Serve.
   • Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into 8 slices. Serve, top with vegan parmesan, oregano, crushed red pepper or any other finishing touches.
   • Enjoy!

I hope you found this vegan white pizza recipe useful! Please be sure to share your results or any questions in the comments 🙂