Vegan Manicotti
Classic baked manicotti filled with a creamy vegan ricotta and spinach mixture.
Equipment
- 9x13 inch Baking Dish
- Large Bowl
- Mixing Bowl
- Piping Bag or Zip-top Bag
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 12 shells manicotti shells
- 2 cups vegan ricotta cheese drained if very wet
- 1 1/2 cups vegan shredded mozzarella cheese divided (1 cup + 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2/3 cup vegan Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup fresh baby spinach chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped, plus more for garnish
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 16 ounces pasta sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the manicotti shells in a large bowl and cover with hot water; soak for about 30 minutes to soften, stirring gently halfway through.
- While shells soak, drain any excess liquid from the vegan ricotta and finely chop the spinach and basil.
- In a mixing bowl combine the drained vegan ricotta, 1 cup of the shredded vegan mozzarella, Italian seasoning, vegan Parmesan, chopped spinach, chopped basil, cornstarch, salt, and black pepper; stir until well blended.
- Lightly spray a 9×13‑inch baking dish with nonstick spray and spread half of the pasta sauce evenly over the bottom.
- Transfer the cheese mixture to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped; fill each softened manicotti shell with about 1/3 cup of the mixture and arrange the filled shells in the prepared dish on top of the sauce.
- Pour the remaining pasta sauce over the filled shells and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella on top.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before garnishing with additional basil and serving.
Notes
- Soaking the shells prevents cracking when filling.
- Drain ricotta if it seems watery to keep filling firm.
- Use a piping bag for easier filling.