Creamy cauliflower mash flavored with roasted garlic and ricotta cheese. It’s an easy side dish that goes with absolutely everything and not to mention it is low carb!

Try serving this cauliflower mash with our Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken. It’s the best!

cauliflower and ricotta mash this recipe

Have you tried mashed cauliflower? It’s basically a low-carb friend of potatoes. It’s light, buttery, and creamy.

This mashed cauliflower recipe is made with only 5-ingredients: cauliflower, ricotta, garlic, butter, and chives. The garlic adds so much flavor and the ricotta just the perfect touch of creaminess.

Serve it with turkey pesto meatballs, sausage bolognese sauce, coconut milk shrimp, or any other meal you’d normally serve with mashed potatoes.

mashed cauliflower with garlic and ricotta

Getting Moisture Out of Cauliflower

The trick to creamy and not watery cauliflower mash is to get as much moisture out of the cauliflower before it is puréed. I like to do this in two parts:

  • STEP 1: Drain the boiled cauliflower florets over a strainer and let them sit for 5-10 minutes to drain off the excess liquid from cooking while tossing the cauliflower several times.
  • STEP 2: Layer a large baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Spread the drained cauliflower in a single layer and tap the baking sheet a couple of times on the countertop to get as much water as possible out of the cauliflower.
ingredients for cauliflower mash

How to Make Cauliflower Mash

ROAST THE GARLIC: It’s very easy to make. First, you start off by roasting garlic. You only need two cloves, a little bit of olive oil, and aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for about 10-12 minutes until soft.

COOK THE CAULIFLOWER: Next, cut up a big head of cauliflower into florets. Then cook the florets in salted water until fork-tender. Mine took right around 10 minutes or so. Drain and spread onto a paper-lined baking sheet.

PUREE TOGETHER: Add the cooked cauliflower florets into a bowl of a food-processor with ricotta, butter, and roasted garlic. Puree until smooth. Garnish with chives and serve.

step by step on how to make cauliflower mash

How Long Does Mashed Cauliflower Last?

Leftover mashed cauliflower can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It reheats very well too!

mashed cauliflower with ricotta

Serving Suggestions

As a Side – instead of pasta or traditional mashed potatoes, serve cauliflower mash alongside any of these main dishes:

Under Something Saucy – another great way to serve cauliflower mash is under something saucy, such as:

Looking for more low-carb recipes? Try our Cauliflower and Spinach Bake, Chicken Stuffed Zucchini, or Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry.

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Cauliflower Mash with Ricotta and Roasted Garlic - tastes just like mashed potatoes but with fraction of the carbs! | littlebroken.com @littlebroken

Cauliflower and Ricotta Mash

★★★★★ 4.8 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Mashed
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Creamy cauliflower mash flavored with roasted garlic and ricotta cheese. It’s an easy side dish that goes with absolutely everything and not to mention it is low carb!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 large cloves garlic
  • 3 lb. head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Chopped chives, for garnish
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Cut off the tip of each garlic clove (just enough to expose it). Place in a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the foil tightly and place on a baking sheet.
  3. Roast the garlic for 10-12 minutes or until soft when pressed. Remove and let cool before peeling. The garlic should easily pop out of their skins when pressed.
  4. Cook the cauliflower florets in salted water for 8-12 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain over a strainer and then lay flat on a large baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towel. Tap the baking sheet a couple of times on the countertop to get as much water as possible out of the cauliflower.
  5. Then working quickly, place the cauliflower in a food processor with roasted garlic, butter and ricotta. You can do this in batches as I did or all together if your food processor is big enough. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Purée until smooth and creamy.
  6. Garnish with chopped chives and serve warm.

Notes

  • Watery Mash? Try adding some cubed cream cheese. I would stay away from anything liquid, such as cream or even more ricotta cheese as it can thin out the cauliflower mash. 
  • Substitute for Food Processor: A high-speed blender or an immersion blender can be used instead.
  • Leftovers: Leftover mashed cauliflower can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Note: One of the important steps to getting a creamy consistency in a cauliflower mash is to get as much moisture out of the cauliflower before it is puréed. See post for detailed steps on how to do that.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 132
  • Sugar: 1.6 g
  • Sodium: 38.3 mg
  • Fat: 11.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.4 g
  • Protein: 3.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 23.2 mg

Keywords: low carb side, keto, vegetable mash

 

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