Creamy mashed cauliflower pairs beautifully with your favorite roast dinner. Whether you serve it alongside your Thanksgiving turkey or with a simple pork chop, this mashed cauliflower will make any meal a little tastier.

Creamy, smoky, and perfect with your favorite roast.
When I originally developed this recipe, I used smoked ricotta cheese made by Salvatore BKLYN. While you can’t buy their ricotta cheese online, you can buy smoked ricotta cheese from other fromageries. I’ve also made this mashed cauliflower with regular ricotta cheese and added a few shakes of smoked paprika to give it a little smoky complexity.

Ricotta Mashed Cauliflower
Equipment
- Baking sheet or large platter
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cauliflower (leaves removed and cauliflower cut into florets)
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- ½ cup smoked whole milk ricotta cheese (or regular whole milk ricotta cheese)
- 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (plus more if desired)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (see Note 1.)
- 1 pinch cayenne powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives (minced; plus more for serving)
Instructions
Boil the cauliflower:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets to the boiling water and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until fork-tender. Drain the florets. Arrange on a baking sheet or large platter and pat dry with paper towels.
Blend the cauliflower:
- Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Blend the mashed cauliflower:
- Add ½ cup ricotta cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 pinch cayenne powder, and minced chives to the food processor. Season with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Continue pulsing until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and season with kosher salt, black pepper, and more cayenne powder, if desired.
To serve:
- Transfer to a serving dish and smooth out the cauliflower with the back of a spoon. Serve with more minced chives on top.






