Want to impress your friends or family? This Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti is wildly simple to make even though it looks like you slaved away in the kitchen all day! It’s also so healthy, especially compared to the non plant-based version of this “cheesy” dish, so you can feel good about cooking this meal for your loved ones! It’s pretty incredible, the dish as a whole tastes like a guilty pleasure except one little difference: the more you eat, the healthier you are!
No cheese, please
Not wild about the vegan “cheese” you can find at the store? Me neither. I’ve tried using a little vegan mozzarella shreds on pasta or pizza but the flavor is overwhelming and doesn’t quite match everything else. Overall, I feel like it can ruin dishes. If you don’t like the packaged stuff, don’t use it!
When I make vegan “cheese” at home, it’s a whole different story! It’s incredible, full of tangy flavors and textures. One of the most important things to remember is that you’re not making cheese, and it will never taste like cheese. If your mind is set that your vegan “cheddar” or “mozzarella” or is supposed to taste just like the dairy versions, you’re setting yourself up for major disappointment. When you whip up this cashew cheese in the blender, give it a taste while thinking “this is cashew cheese”. Your tastebuds will be delighted by the unique flavors!
What gives this melty cashew cheese its savory flavors? Miso and nutritional yeast are the ingredients that make this drizzled cashew cheese come to life. Cashew cheese tastes like a delicacy, but one you don’t have to feel guilty about eating!
What about the ricotta replacement? Tofu is the perfect substitute! The texture is spot-on, and the beautiful thing about tofu is that it’s a blank canvas—you can make it taste however you’d like!
What about the soy in tofu?
Soy does not cause breast cancer, or any other health implication for that matter! The phytoestrogens in soy actually reduce your chances for breast cancer occurrence, reoccurrence, or death.1,2,3
The notion that soy is linked to breast cancer was debunked decades ago, but obviously it’s difficult to get the public to change their mind about something they’ve formed an opinion.
If you’re worried about breast or prostate cancer, ditch dairy immediately. Dairy is loaded with mammalian pregnancy hormones, something they sure don’t advertise on the packaging, and can cause all sorts of health problems. Dairy is the leading source of saturated fat in the American Diet, increasing the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimers disease, as well as breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
“Women who consumed 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cow’s milk per day had a 30% increased chance for breast cancer. One cup per day increased the risk by 50%, and 2-3 cups were associated with an 80% increased chance of breast cancer. Vegans (no dairy, no cheese, no eggs) experience less breast cancer than non-vegetarians.”4,5
I find this topic fascinating! If you’d like to read more, I wrote all about this in my article: Does soy cause breast cancer?
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 morels I found out in the yard.
Foraging your mushrooms is a special treat but using store bought mushrooms is just as great! White mushrooms, also known as table, common, button, or champignon mushrooms are the most readily available and commonly consumed. When they’re fully grown they are known as portobello mushrooms.
Packed with nutrients and vitamins, mushrooms also contain a higher amount of protein than most vegetables (2 grams per cup).
Mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D (33% DV per 1 cup), which your body needs in order to absorb calcium.
Mushrooms also contain:
(% of the Daily Value)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 22%
- Vitamin B3 (niacin): 16% of the DV
- Selenium: 12% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 5% of the DV
Magic…Mushrooms?
Did you know that mushrooms contain antioxidants which have cancer fighting properties? Studies have shown that mushrooms have a strong protective effect against certain cancers, especially breast cancer, inhibiting tumor growth! The presence of beta-glucans in mushrooms enhance the natural killer cell function in the body and increases immune defense against diseases and cancer.6
Mushrooms may also reduce risk of heart disease by reducing inflammation, cholesterol, and oxidative stress. And the polysaccharides in mushrooms may help regulate blood sugar levels, improving insulin resistance.7
Spinach
Popeye was downing cans of spinach for good reason—this leafy green is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants! Spinach is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K1, folic acid, iron, as well as some calcium.
Spinach may reduce oxidative stress, promote eye health, fight cancer, and regulate blood pressure.
But, there are some people who should limit their intake! Spinach is high in calcium and oxalates, so people that are prone to kidney stones may want to avoid spinach. And because it’s very high in vitamin K1, this can be a problem for people on blood thinners.8 Consult your doctor if you’re concerned! If spinach isn’t for you, another green that works great in this dish is finely chopped kale (make sure you remove the stems)!
Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 5–6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti is incredibly flavorful and tastes like a guilty pleasure — except with this, the more you eat, the healthier you are!
Ingredients
- 8 oz Manicotti Pasta
Manicotti Filling
- 1/2 of a yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 cups mushrooms, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 oz package extra firm tofu
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 cups spinach, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Melty Cashew Cheese
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tsp miso
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup water
Manicotti Toppings
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- Sprinkle of Finely chopped basil, chives, or green onions (optional)
Instructions
- Place cashews in a bowl and pour boiling water over them and soak while preparing everything else.
- In a medium-sized skillet, sauté onions, mushrooms, and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil on medium heat until soft and moisture is cooked out, about 10-12 mins. When finished, set pan aside.
- Bring large pot of water to a boil and cook manicotti according to package directions until al dente. Don’t overcook!! When al dente, strain manicotti and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 350°.
- Meanwhile, drain tofu and use a clean kitchen towel to pat excess moisture. Use your fingers to crumble tofu into a large bowl. Add in nutritional yeast, salt, finely chopped spinach, lemon juice, and pepper. When mushrooms and onions have finished cooking, add them into the bowl. Mix this together thoroughly.
- 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. Place the stuffed pasta in a large casserole dish (or two smaller ones). If you have leftover filling, spoon that in front of and behind the pasta.
- Pour the pasta sauce on top of the manicotti. Cover the casserole dish a lid (or foil if you don’t have a lid) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove lid (or foil) and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- While manicotti bakes, make the melted cashew cheese. Strain water from cashews and add to a high speed blender along with everything else in the “Melty Cashew Cheese” section. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- When manicotti finishes cooking, drizzle the cashew cheese on top of the marinara. Serve immediately, garnishing with optional chopped basil, chives, or green onions. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 75 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: pasta
- Method: stovetop, baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Did you love this Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti? I’d love to hear! Leave me a comment below! 🙂
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2024/01/natural-compounds-derived-from-soy-and-other-plants-reduce-breast-cancer-recurrence-and-improve-survival-research-shows#:~:text=Soy%20isoflavones%20were%20associated%20with,at%2060%20milligrams%20per%20day.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2988534/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874068/
- https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-about-dairy
- https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/49/5/1526/5743492?login=false
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17895634/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mushrooms-good-for-diabetes
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/spinach#downsides
This dish is so tasty I wish I could give it ten stars!!
Thank you, that’s a wonderful compliment!! This is one of my all-time favorite recipes; I always forget how good it is until I make it again!