But Make It Vegan: Plant-based Cheese and Spinach Manicotti

Plant-based cheese makes this manicotti vegan-friendly

I love manicotti. Stuffing the shells with a cheesy mixture and then nestling them together is so satisfying. But eating copious amounts of said cheese is not easy on my stomach. A while ago, I started making homemade vegan cheese from recipes online, and then substituted them into my mom’s manicotti recipe. I present this mash-up below.

Note: You can make your own pasta sheets for this recipe instead of using store-bought tubes, but it’s a more labour-intensive process (but deliciously worth it). Speaking of labour-intensive, don’t be intimidated by all the instructions below. You just have to make the cheese ahead of time, and then it all comes together very easily.

 

Cashew Ricotta

There are lots of vegan cheese options out there that are cashew-based, but this one is so easy to make at home, you might as well do it yourself. I tried this one from The Simple Veganista and liked it a lot.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked
• 1/2 cup water
• Juice of 1 large lemon or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
• 1 garlic clove
• Dash of onion powder
• Himalayan sea salt and cracked pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, it’s best to soak your cashews in water before starting. There are two ways to soak. Soak cashews in cool water for at least 2 hours in a bowl of water, covering the cashews in about 2 to 3 inches of water as they will swell up. For a quick method of soaking, let cashews sit in hot water for 5 minutes.
2. Drain cashews and place all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor. Process until creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides every few minutes. Taste for seasoning adding any additional ingredients. Some like a salty ricotta so feel free to add as much salt as you want.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for an hour or two; this will stiffen the mixture a bit. If it becomes too thick, add a tad of water and mix well.You can also prepare your dish straight away without refrigeration if needed.
4. Store in refrigerator for up to a week, or store in the freezer for up to two months in a freezer safe container.

Christine McAvoy

 

Tofu Feta

I saw this recipe on Erin Ireland's Instagram and she released the exact measurements in this blog post. Make sure you used refined coconut oil, and you can taste test and add more salt to your preference.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz (350 g) firm tofu, one block
• 1/2 c. + 2 tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
• 1 3/4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and purée until extremely smooth. You may need to stop, scrape down the sides and blend some more a few times.
2. Once completely smooth, place your soft mixture into a container or appropriately shaped mold (I use glass Tupperware) and seal with a cover. Place in fridge until firm (about five hours or overnight).

 

Manicotti

Christine McAvoyINGREDIENTS

• Package of manicotti (or cannelloni) pasta
• 1 cup vegan ricotta
• 1 cup vegan feta
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups baby spinach, chopped (or 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup vegan Parmesan, divided into two 1/4 cup portions (with some extra for serving)
• Large bottle of pasta sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If using frozen spinach, thaw and drain the water.
2. In a large pot of salted water, cook the manicotti according to the box—until they are al dente. Drain and run under cold water so they stop cooking and you are able to hold them.
3. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, cooking for a minute. Then add the baby spinach (skip if using frozen). Cook until the spinach has wilted.
4. Add the onion, spinach, garlic, vegan feta, vegan ricotta, 1/4 cup of vegan Parmesan and pepper into a large bowl and mix until fully combined.
5. In a 9 X 13-inch glass dish, pour in just enough sauce to cover the bottom.
6. Grab a manicotti tube and fill, stuffing the cheese mixture from end to end and then place in the glass dish. Repeat until the mixture is gone.
7. Top the pasta with sauce and then the other 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
8. Cover and place in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
9. To cook, preheat oven to 350. Remove cover and cook for 40 to 50 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: You can freeze the manicotti before cooking it as well, it may need a little longer to cook from frozen.