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spinach and mushroom manicotti
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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
Cook Time1 hour
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!