Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti

This Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti looks and tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, and although it takes a little bit of effort and time, it’s surprisingly easy to make and comes together smoothly! Creamy and savory, this comfort food is perfect for family dinners, friend gatherings, or cozy nights in.

The stuffed pasta is filled with tofu ricotta, finely chopped spinach, and sautéd onions and mushrooms cooked until tender and savory. The stuffed manicotti bakes in a simple but flavorful red sauce, full of rich and bright flavors, then served with a drizzle of creamy cashew cheese and garnished with fresh basil. Every bite is savory, flavorful and satisfying! This pasta dish tastes like a guilty pleasure it’s actually incredibly healthy.

Recipe FAQ

How to Make Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti

Soak cashews

Place ½ cup of cashews in a heat-safe bowl and pour boiling water over them so they are submerged completely. Allow to soak while preparing everything else.

Prep Ingredients

Finely chop about 2 ½ cups yellow onion (roughly 1 large onion) and mince 10 cloves of garlic, then divide between the filling and the red sauce. Finely chop ¾ lb mushrooms and gather the remaining ingredients. A food processor makes this step quicker, but I prefer chopping by hand for more consistent size.

Red Sauce

Heat a large pot on medium-low with 2 ½ Tbsp olive oil, 1 cup of the finely chopped yellow onions, and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly until translucent, about 10-15 minutes, reducing heat if it becomes too hot.

While onions cook, add a 28 oz can of whole, peeled tomatoes with juices to a blender and blend until smooth.

Once onions are very soft and translucent, add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 Tbsp tomato paste, the blended tomatoes, 1 tsp red chili flakes, 1 tsp dried oregano, and ½ tsp salt.

Cover with a tilted lid and allow to simmer on low and reduce for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Reducing sauce is actually better with no lid, but I find tomato sauces tend to splatter unexpectedly at times and I try to keep the white walls sauce-free!)

Once sauce has finished cooking, stir in 1 tsp balsamic vinegar. Taste, adding anything more sauce may need.

Sauté Manicotti Filling

While red sauce is simmering, heat a large skillet on medium heat with 2 tsp avocado oil. Once hot, add 1 ½ cup finely chopped yellow onions, finely chopped mushrooms, remaining minced garlic, and ½ tsp salt. Cook until moisture has cooked out and mushrooms begin to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

Cook Pasta

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add manicotti. Set a timer and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Don’t overcook pasta or it will tear. Once al dente, strain water using a colander but reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and set aside (this will be used for making the cashew cheese). Rinse pasta with cold water, then lay out on a clean kitchen towel so pasta isn’t sitting in moisture.

Preheat

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly oil 1 large and 1 small casserole dish.

Manicotti Filling

Drain extra firm tofu and use a clean kitchen towel to pat out excess moisture. Use your fingers to crumble tofu into a large bowl, then add ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, and ¼ tsp black pepper and mix together.

Then stir in 4 cups of measured then finely chopped spinach and the mushroom and onion mixture once it’s finished cooking. Stir to combine.

Stuff pasta

Stuff the pasta with the manicotti filling, however it’s easiest for you. I hold the pasta upright, using my pinky to prevent filling from falling out while I spoon it into the top and gently pressing down with the spoon once it’s full to compress and add a bit more.

You can also load the filling into a gallon sized ziplock bag and cut the corner off and gently squeeze mixture into the pasta. Make sure it’s compact so there’s plenty of filling in each one.

Pour a thin layer of red sauce on the bottom of the casserole dishes (oops, not pictured here!) and then place the stuffed pasta on top of the red sauce. If there’s leftover filling, spoon that in front of and behind the pasta.

Bake

Pour the red sauce on top of the manicotti. Cover the casserole dishes with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Cashew Cheese

While the manicotti bakes, strain the cashew soaking water and place the cashews to a high speed blender. Add the ½ cup of reserved pasta water, 1 ½ Tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp miso paste, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp lemon juice, and ¼ tsp salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Finish

Once manicotti finishes cooking, remove from oven. Drizzle the cashew cheese on top and garnish with chopped fresh basil. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!

Wild Mushrooms

Are you a forager? Wild morels or chanterelles are fabulous in this pasta dish! The first time making this manicotti recipe was actually with wild morels I found out in the back yard!

Storing + Reheating

Store leftover Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti in the casserole dish covered with a lid, plastic wrap, or foil or transfer to a smaller, airtight container. Leftover manicotti keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheat quick and easily on a plate in the microwave, using a large microwave-safe bowl upside down to cover and prevent red sauce from splattering.

If reheating in the oven, cover casserole dish with foil and bake at 350°F until heated through.

Print Recipe

Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti

This Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti is filled with tofu ricotta, finely chopped spinach, and sautéd onions and mushrooms cooked until tender and savory. The stuffed manicotti bakes in a simple but flavorful red sauce, then served with a drizzle of creamy cashew cheese and garnished with fresh basil.

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Comfort food, manicotti, mushrooms, Pasta, Tofu, Vegan Manicotti, Vegetarian Manicotti

Servings: 6 servings

Author: The Wandering Veggie

Equipment

• 1 heat-safe bowl
• 2 Large pots with lids
• 1 Large skillet
• 1 Colander
• 1 High Speed Blender
• 1 Large + 1 small casserole dish

Ingredients

• 8 oz Manicotti pasta

Red Sauce

• 2 ½ Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 28 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes
• 1 tsp red chili flakes (use less or omit if sensitive to spice)
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Sauté

• 2 tsp avocado oil
• 1 ½ cups yellow onion, finely chopped
• ¾ lb mushrooms, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt

Tofu Ricotta

• 16 oz extra firm tofu
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups packed spinach, measured then finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Cashew Cheese

• ½ cup cashews (soaked)
• ½ cup reserved pasta water
• 1 ½ Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp miso
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt

Garnish

• fresh basil or chives, finely chopped

Instructions

• Soak Cashews: Place ½ cup of cashews in a heat-safe bowl and pour boiling water over so they are submerged. Allow to soak while preparing everything else. 
• Prep Ingredients: Finely chop and divide a total of 2 ½ cups yellow onion (about 1 large) and mince 11 cloves garlic. Then finely chop ¾ lb mushrooms, and gather the rest of the ingredients.
• Red Sauce: Heat a large pot with 2 ½ Tbsp olive oil on low-medium heat and add 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly until translucent, about 10-15 minutes, reducing heat if it gets too hot.

  While this cooks, add a 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes to a blender and blend until smooth.

  Once onions are translucent, add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 Tbsp tomato paste, the blended tomatoes, 1 tsp red chili flakes, 1 tsp of dried oregano, and ½ tsp salt. Cover with a tilted lid and allow to simmer and reduce on low for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  After sauce has finished simmering, remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp balsamic vinegar. Taste, adding anything more sauce may need.
• Sauté: While red sauce is simmering, heat a large skillet on medium heat with 2 tsp avocado oil. Once hot, add 1 ½ cup finely chopped yellow onions, finely chopped mushrooms, about 7 cloves minced garlic, and ½ tsp salt. Cook until moisture has cooked out and mushroom begin to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Cook Pasta: Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to a boil and add manicotti. Set a timer and cook according to package directions until al dente. Don't overcook or the pasta will tear. Once al dente, strain manicotti but reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and set aside (this will be used for the cashew cheese). Rinse pasta with cold water, then lay out on a clean kitchen towel so the pasta isn't sitting in moisture.
• Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil 1 large and 1 small casserole dish.
• Manicotti Filling: Drain tofu and use a clean kitchen towel to pat out excess moisture. Use your fingers to crumble tofu into a large bowl, then add ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, and ¼ tsp black pepper and mix together.

  Then stir in 4 cups of measured then finely chopped spinach and the mushroom and onion sauté once it's finished cooking. Stir to combine.
• Stuff Pasta: Pour a layer of the finished red sauce on the bottom of the casserole dishes. Then stuff the pasta with the manicotti filling, however it's easiest for you. I hold the pasta upright and use my pinky to prevent filling from falling out while I spoon it into the top. You can also load the filling into a gallon sized ziplock back, cut 1" of the the corner off, and gently squeeze mixture into the pasta. Make sure it's mixture is compact so there's plenty of filling in each one.

  Place the stuffed pasta on top of the red sauce. If you have leftover filling, spoon that in front of and behind the pasta.
• Bake: Pour the red sauce on top of the manicotti. Cover the casserole dishes with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. 
• Cashew Cheese: While manicotti bakes, strain water from cashews and add to a high speed blender along with ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, 1 ½ Tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp miso paste, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp lemon juice, and ¼ tsp salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.
• Finish: Once manicotti finishes cooking, remove from oven and drizzle the cashew cheese on top. Garnish with chopped basil and serve immediately. Buon appetito!

Did you love this Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti? I’d love to hear! Leave me a comment below! 🙂