BONUS VIDEO! I had some cooking videos from last year ‘in the vault’, so you get these in addition to weekly Wednesday morning Real World Plant Based Diet videos.
In this video, I create a cheesy, delicious vegan manicotti. You could do a vegetarian version with regular cheeses. This is one of my Progress Not Perfection meals that is more indulgent and uses a few ready made ingredients. We mix these in with the whole food plant based no oil recipes. It’s all about balance for us.
All of the recipe details are below the video. Let me know in the comments if you give this a try for a cheesy Italian dinner night.
VEGAN MANICOTTI
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
8 oz pkg manicotti shells
14 oz pkg extra firm tofu, drained & pressed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped spinach
1/3 cup vegan parmesan cheese, optional
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 24 oz jar marinara sauce
2 cups shredded vegan mozzarella (One 7 oz pkg)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions. Gently rinse with cold water and set aside.
3. Make tofu ricotta. Drain and press tofu for at least 15 minutes to remove excess liquid. Crumble tofu into a mixing bowl, add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder & salt. Mix well to combine.
4. Add chopped spinach, Parmesan, basil, parsley & nutmeg to tofu ricotta. Mix well.
5. Pour 1/2 jar of marinara into a 9×13 baking pan.
6. Fill each manicotti shell with about 1/4 cup of ricotta mixture. Arrange filled shells in the pan in a single layer.
7. Evenly pour remaining 1/2 jar of marinara on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
8. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until manicotti is heated through and cheese is bubbly.
Serve with a fresh green salad & a nice vegan salad dressing on the side. Enjoy!
Notes:
1. To press tofu: Use a tofu press or set on a plate with another plate on top and a heavy weight such a big jar or cans of food.
2. If using frozen chopped spinach, thaw and squeeze well to remove excess liquid before using.
3. We like Follow Your Heart brand shredded vegan parmesan. If you can’t find vegan parmesan, you can make your own by combining 1 cup nuts + 1/2 cup nutritional yeast + 1 teaspoon salt in a high speed blender or food processor until you have a finely crumbled mixture. Use 1/3 cup in this recipe and save the rest for a great pasta topping.
4. If you can’t find vegan mozzarella, you can just top with nutritional yeast. Most mainstream grocery stores carry shredded vegan cheese, we get ours at Kroger.
5. Lightlife vegan sausage crumbles would be a great addition to your filling mixture. This vegan sausage comes in tubes in the refrigerated section near the tofu (that’s where they keep it at Kroger). You cook & crumble it in a pan and then add it to the filling.
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To see vegan cheese & sausage options:
Shredded Vegan Cheese: https://amzn.to/3jLyW5n
Lightlife Vegan Sausage: https://amzn.to/3lvlQd2
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Quick & Easy Side Salad: https://youtu.be/rnHmBVsuIY4
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